Full Circle
by MeanRunt
Summary: After a close call with their mortality, Bo, Luke and Daisy decide it's time to settle down


**Dukes Of Hazzard**

**Full Circle**

**##** This takes place a short time after the TV movie 'Hazzard in Hollywood'. ##

**D-D-D-D-D-D**

"When are you going to grow up, Lucas K. Duke?" Mary Beth Higgins screamed. Of course, that caused every head at the Boars Nest to turn in their direction. " … And stop acting like some irresponsible adolescent jerk!"

"But Mary Beth … " Luke Duke tried to explain. "You got it all wrong. I didn't mean it like it sounded."

"You never do, Luke Duke." She replied coldly. "And this time flowers and candy ain't gonna cut it!" She threw the bouquet of assorted flowers at him and dumped the contents of the Whitman's Sampler on his head.

"But Mary Beth … " He tried again.

"And don't you … 'But Mary Beth' … me! Call me when you've matured enough to make an intelligent decision!" She turned and strode toward the door. "Or better yet …" She called over her shoulder. " ... Don't bother calling me at all!" The door to the Boars Nest nearly came off its hinges as she slammed it behind her.

Luke went to the table where his cousin, Bo Duke sat with Cooter Davenport. He grabbed Bo's shoulder. "Come on, Bo. We're going home."

"What's the rush, Cuz? I just bought me another beer." Bo protested, holding up a full mug of the golden tan liquid. "You go on ahead. I'll catch a ride with Cooter when I'm ready to go."

"No. You gotta come with me now. You're gonna have to drive the General. The way I feel right now, I'm afraid if I get behind the wheel, I'm gonna end up smashin' into something. And it won't necessarily be by accident."

**D-D-D-D-D-D**

"Now, you want to tell me what went on back there?" Bo asked as he turned the orange Dodge onto County Highway 27 and headed out of Hazzard toward the Duke family farm.

"I ain't got the first clue." Luke replied. "We were at Jake and Ellen Potter's tenth anniversary party last night when I apparently said or did somethin' wrong. I don't for the life of me know what it was, but whatever it was, Mary Beth took it real personal. I tried to apologize just now, and all of a sudden ... Well, you saw Mount Saint Mary Beth Higgins erupting."

"And what's this decision she wants you to make?"

"Same one she always wants. She wants to settle down and have a home and family. I told her when we started dating that I ain't the marryin' type. I thought she understood that from the git go. I mean she's known me all her life. She should have known I didn't want to get serious. Shoot. I'm a Duke, after all. I got a lot of livin' left to do before I'm ready to settle down."

"I know what you mean, Cousin. I ain't never gonna get married neither. Daisy got married, and look what being stuck with that snake of a husband got for her. Nothin' but grief and sorrow. She did the right thing by divorcin' him. She never should have married him in the first place. But you know Daisy. Can't tell her nothin'."

"Yeah. She should have married Enos Strate. Everybody in Hazzard knows they were meant for each other."

"Everybody but Enos and Daisy, that is."

"You're right there. I think I … " Luke threw his hands in front of his face. "LOOK OUT!" He shouted

They were heading up the hill toward Gurley's Knob when a car came over the crest going at least eighty miles an hour. It was swerving back and forth across the lanes at an alarming rate.

Bo twisted the steering wheel hard to attempt to get out of the way of the runaway auto. Unfortunately, there was not much room on the hill to maneuver. Or much time. He almost made it. Almost. In the time it took to think, the car was upon them. There was the sound of tortured metal hitting tortured metal as the two vehicles collided. Then there was silence.

**D-D-D-D-D-D**

The cacophony of beeps, whistles and hisses gradually grew louder.

"Good morning, Mr. Duke." The disembodied voice said.

By sheer force of will, Luke Duke managed to open one eye. The man standing by his side was wearing scrubs and a lab coat, and had a stethoscope around his neck. He must be a doctor. His fuzzy feeling brain decided. "Where … where … am I?" He managed to groan.

"Tri County General Hospital." The man said. "I'm Doctor Earl Hobbes. They brought you and your cousin in yesterday at about eight o'clock. You two are luckier than you have a right to be. It's a good thing that Deputy Hogg came along when he did and radioed for the emergency squad. Otherwise all of you would be lying on slabs in the Hazzard County Morgue right about now, wearing nothing but tags on your big toes. Instead you're here, recuperating from your injuries."

Luke tried to sit up but the plethora of tubes and wires attached to his body made it difficult. Dr. Hobbes put a restraining hand on Luke's left shoulder. It was probably the only place on him that did not have either a tube, wire, or bandage on it. "As I said. You're lucky to be alive. So is Beauregard. And the driver of the other car as well."

"How bad off am I?"

"Do you want the top ten, arranged alphabetically, top to bottom, or the full list?"

"Funny, Doctor Hobbes. I'd laugh, but it hurts too much."

"I imagine it will for some time to come. Let me see." He opened Luke's medical chart. "You have a concussion, a broken nose, three cracked ribs and two completely broken ones. One of them barely missed your left lung. You had a cardiac arrest while you were in surgery to repair your chest, and that's why you're hooked up to all these machines. Your right arm is broken as well. That's not counting the multitude of cuts and bruises."

"What about Bo? Was he hurt bad? And just for the record, don't ever call him Beauregard to his face. Or even behind his back for that matter. Not unless you happen to like knuckle sandwiches."

"He's not much better. Take a look. He's in the other bed. He has a concussion, too. And quite a few three and four inch gashes on his face and scalp where we picked out 37 pieces of the windshield and other shrapnel. Took eight stitches apiece to close them. Both of his eyes are blacked and his upper teeth went through his lower lip. That took another six stitches to close. His chest is badly bruised and tree of his ribs are cracked where he hit the steering wheel. His left leg is broken in two places and he had some minor internal bleeding.

"And that's all?" The voice from the other bed asked. It sounded slightly muffled through swollen lips. "I've been hurt worse than that in a Saturday night brawl at the Boars Nest."

"BO! You're alive! And awake!" Luke shouted.

"Not so loud, Cuz." Bo winced. "I swear I ain't never been this hung over. At least not without getting rip roarin' drunk first. Remember the time when we was kids and we went up to Uncle Jesse's still? And tried to drink it dry? And he caught us? And we spent the next three days in the bathroom takin' turns throwing up?"

"Yeah. I remember that."

"I just wish I felt that good. I will say this, though. It's a lot different from the last time I was in the hospital. I do know what's real and what's not. This time I know that my name is Bo Duke and that you're my cousin Luke. And I know that Boss Hogg ain't my daddy."

"That's a relief." Luke said. "Now, about the other driver. That man really needs a lesson in careful driving. The way he came down that hill, you'd think he was drunk or high on something. You said he's still alive too. How bad is he hurt?"

"SHE … is very, very lucky. She has a separated shoulder, a pulled ligament in her right knee, both ankles are badly sprained and the Achilles tendon in her left ankle is torn. Of course, she has numerous cuts and bruises too.

"She?" Both Dukes said practically in unison.

"She. Her name is Sandy Beaumont."

"How come we got banged up so bad and she got off with only minor injuries?" Luke asked.

"She had seatbelts and airbags in her car. All you had in the General was a rollbar.

Not to change the subject, but there's a group of people in the waiting room wearing a track in the floor tile. Some of them have been there all night. I'll be sending them in one at a time. Starting with Ms. Duke."

"Ms. Duke?" Bo inquired. "Who's that?"

"I think he means Daisy." Luke explained.

"Well why didn't he say so?"

**D-D-D-D-D-D**

Over the next few hours, there was a steady procession of people into the room. Each had brought something to give to the boys.

Daisy brought a laptop computer so they could entertain themselves while they recovered.

"Good." Luke said. "I really need that. I've been wantin' to go on EBay for some time now and get me some things I really want. Either that or . Now I got the time and the way to do it."

"Who says you get it first?" Bo countered. "I got just as much right to it as you do. She brought it for both of us, after all."

"But all you ever want to do is play them silly arcade games."

"Oh yeah? At least it's better than squanderin' all my hard earned money on things I don't need and will never even use 'cept maybe one time!"

"Says who? At least I'm doin' something intelligent. It don't take too many brains to play Electronic Pinball."

"Well, you ain't exactly overflowin' in the smarts department neither."

"Luke. Bo. If I knew that this was going to start a fight, I'd have left it at home. It's a pity we don't have two of them. That way you boys wouldn't be fighting over it like you were a coupla of six year olds." Daisy said. She picked up the computer and started for the door.

"Wait a minute, Daisy." Luke said. "Leave it here. We promise we won't fight over it."

"Yeah. We'll take turns." Bo agreed. "Just like the two mature adults that we are."

And when I get back to the farm, the donkeys will be singing arias from Porgy and Bess and the pigs will be circling the weathervane on the barn roof. "You see that you do that." Daisy sat the computer on the shelf by the window. At least that way, they couldn't get at it until they were well enough to get out of bed. Maybe by then, they would have reached some sort of a compromise. And maybe they'll discover the cure for the common cold, eliminate poverty and hunger, and wipe out the national debt. All by 8 o'clock tomorrow morning.

Lulu Hogg was next. She had a picnic basket on her arm. "I thought you boys would like some home cooking. I know how awful hospital food can be." She opened the basket and began sitting the contents on the nightstand between the beds. There was fried chicken, candied yams, corn on the cob, potato salad, a slab of watermelon, and a boysenberry pie from Maybelle's Restaurant.

"This is the same meal I brought for J.D. the night before he … before he … " Her eyes clouded and tears started to form. "I'm sorry, boys." She wiped a tear from her cheek. "I know he's been gone all these years, but I still miss his fat little self." She sniffed loudly.

"I know what you mean, Miss Lulu." Bo said, taking her hand. "We miss him, too. Boss may have been a connivin' sneaky little son of a gun who tried every way he could to pin something on us, but deep down we always knew that he never meant no harm to no one. I think in his own way, he really liked us. 'Sides, most of his schemes fell thorough anyway."

Luke took her other hand. "That's just the way he was. And I know that he and Uncle Jesse are in heaven right now, treatin' all those angels and saints to some of the best 'shine and crawdad bisque they ever had. And both of them are looking out for all of us down here, too. Maybe that's why we came through this accident as good as we did. 'Cause we got us the best guardian angels there is. Jefferson Davis Hogg and Jesse Lee Duke."

"Thanks, boys. I needed to hear that." Lulu wiped her face on one of the napkins from the basket. "Well, I got to go. There's a meeting of the Ladies Auxiliary in an hour, and I don't want to be late."

"Ladies Auxiliary?" Luke asked after Lulu left.

"The Daughters of The Sons of The Confederacy. They're having their monthly Vegas night over at the Methane Township Grange Hall. As I understand it, they use real money."

Luke only shook his head in wonder.

Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane came in carrying Flash II. "I just stopped by to see how you two was doin'." He said. "That was some bad accident you guys and that gal had. We picked up pieces of the General and her car as far away as a hundred feet. Some of it we had to scrape up with a broom and a dustpan. Literally. I should write you two a ci-tation for litterin' the public roadway. But I ain't goin' to. Y'all are just lucky to be alive. And I for one, am danged happy about it. You two just hurry up and get well, you hear. That's an o-fficial po-lice order." He tried his best to look mean, but failed miserably. "Otherwise I'll have to come over here and cuff and stuff you for disobeyin' said order. You got that?" Rosco said with his characteristic laugh.

"We got that, Rosco." Bo said.

"And we're dang glad to be alive, too." Luke added.

"Just see that you stay that way. Do you know how much paperwork is involved when there is a ve-hic-u-lar death?" Rosco shook his head. "You don't want to know. Just get better." He repeated as he headed for the door. "And soon!"

"Hey, Cletus!'' Luke said as the next person came in. "Boy are we ever glad you were out on County Highway 27 yesterday."

"Yeah." Bo said. "If you hadn't come along when you did … Well, somehow 'thanks' just doesn't seem to be good enough."

"By the way." Luke asked. "What were you doing out by Gurley's Knob anyway?"

"I was on my way to the farm." Deputy Sheriff Cletus Hogg said. "I had this call from the Los Angeles Police Department, and I was on my way to the farm to see Daisy."

"Call?" "Los Angeles?" "Why would anybody there be calling Hazzard?" "What does that have to do with Daisy?" "It wasn't about Enos, was it?" "He's all right, isn't he?" Their questions seemed to flow into each other.

"Yeah. It was about Enos. And no, he ain't all right. He was shot, and according to his partner, Officer Amos Jacoby ... he was the one who called me ... he's in pretty bad shape, too. I mean, he ain't dead or nothin' like that, but Officer Jacoby says he's in very serious condition. He was calling me to see if there was anyone here in Hazzard they should notify. You know. Just in case he ... " He sighed heavily and let the rest of the sentence go unspoken. "I told himthat you guys were about as close to family that Enos has. Him bein' an orphan and all that. I mean, your daddies all ran 'shine together, and after his folks died, Uncle Jesse sort of took him under his wing, too. Even though he was almost growed at the time."

"What did Daisy have to say when you told her about Enos? She must be beside herself with worry. First him getting' shot, then us in that accident." Luke asked the Deputy. "That's a lot of stress to be put on her."

"She didn't even mention anything about Enos to us when she was in here." Bo added. "I guess she didn't want to worry us."

Cletus's face turned a few shades of pale and then turned bright pink. He winced as though he was in pain. "Aw, shoot! I knew there was something I forgot to do. When I saw the accident, I clean forgot about telling Daisy about Enos. Didn't even remember it until just now. I agree with you. She probably can't handle all of this at once. Promise me you won't say nothin' to Daisy about this. I'll tell her as soon as the time is right."

"Okay, Cletus. We promise. We'll let you break the news to Daisy." Bo said, raising his hand in a Boy Scout oath. Luke did the same, only with his left hand.

Cooter Davenport was the last one. "Just wanted you boys to know that everybody in Hazzard is prayin' for y'all." He said. "Also, I got the General, or what's left of him, in my shop. It's goin' to take a heap of screen door wire and galvanized steel plates, and a coupla gallons of body putty, but I think I can fix him up good as new. I already got a call into a junkyard in Atlanta for most of the parts. He should be ready to roll about the same time y'all are."

"Cooter, you're a genius when it comes to restoring automobiles." Luke said.

"Yeah. And I ain't too bad when it comes to fixin' cars neither."

"What about the other car? What kind of shape is it in?" Bo asked.

"It ain't in no kind of shape. It was a rental car, and the car company said to total it." Cooter shook his head. "It's a real shame."

"Well, I guess that happens in a lot of accidents." Luke reasoned.

"That's just it. This weren't no accident. This was deliberate."

"You mean she ran into us on purpose?" Bo asked. "Why would she do something like that. We don't even know her."

"No. That ain't what I mean. Sandy Beaumont didn't mean to hit you. She didn't have no choice. Her brake lines was cut and the steering fluid well was almost dry. She had no control of the car. The way I see it, it looks like somebody wanted her dead and y'all just happened to be in the wrong place at the right time."

"Do Rosco and Cletus know about this?"

"Uh huh. And so does the State police. I made sure they put it all on the accident report and even took pictures of everything. For evidence."

**D-D-D-D-D-D**

Cletus was barely inside the door of the police station when the phone started ringing. "Don't get your under shorts in a wedgie. I'm a-comin'." He said as he picked it up. "Hazzard County Sheriff's Department." He said in a sing song voice. "Deputy Sheriff Cletus W. Hogg speakin'. What can I do for y'all?"

"Hey, Cletus."

Cletus nearly dropped the phone. "En … En … Enos?" He managed to gasp. "But you're … you're … "

"In Los Angeles. I just heard that Amos Jacoby called you and told you that I was near dead. Well, just for the record, I ain't nowhere near dead. At least not yet. And hopefully not for a lot more years to come, neither. But that good-for-nothing partner of mine might be, if'n I ever get my hands around his scrawny little neck. He's a great one for makin' mountains outa molehills. He always treats me like he's some kind of mother hen.

Accordin' to the Doc, it's just a shoulder wound. A lot of bleedin', but not too much damage. Did nick a nerve though. That's causin' some big time problems with my usin' my left hand. But the doctor says I'll be good as new as soon as I get feelin' back in it. Accordin' to the best estimates from the people here, that should take about two months or so. By the way, what did Daisy say when you told her?"

"I … I ain't told her yet. I was on my way out to the farm when there was this horrible accident out on Gurley's Knob. The General got rammed by this other car and Bo and Luke was in pretty terrible shape at the time. I was the investigatin' officer so to speak. By the time I got the Emergency Squad out there, and got them to the hospital and all ... Oh! Geez, Enos. You're gonna kill me … I purely forgot to tell her about you."

"The Dukes was in an accident? Possum in a gum bush! How bad were they hurt? How are they doin' now?"

"I just got back from the hospital when you called. They're doin' real good now. Turns out they weren't hurt too bad neither. Like you, there was a lot of bleedin' and bruisin' but not much real damage. Just a few broken bones."

"I'm real glad to hear that they wasn't hurt too bad. Do me a favor. Don't tell Daisy nothin' about me. You see, The police department gave me three months recuperatin' leave, and I can't think of a better place to recuperate in than in Hazzard. I want to surprise her."

"I think seein' you will really be a surprise. Can I tell Bo and Luke?"

"No. Don't tell anyone. Especially not Bo and Luke. You know those two couldn't keep a secret if you shrink wrapped it."

"I promise. I won't tell no one." Cletus said. He held his right hand to the receiver and spit on it loud enough for Enos to hear. Then he slapped it against his left hand. "And I spit and shook on it too. Only I used my other hand instead of yours. Is that okay?"

"Perfect." Enos did the same at his end. "Gotta go now. The nurse is here to make a pin cushion out of me. Again. You'd think I'd lost enough blood by gettin' shot, but every time I turn around they're takin' some more. See y'all in about a week or so.''

"Bye, Enos. See you then." Cletus hung up the phone. A smile crossed his face. At least Enos was going to be all right. He still felt bad about not telling Daisy. Now, of course, he couldn't tell anyone. They had spit and shook on it. That was like a solemn oath. Only more so.

**D-D-D-D-D-D**

Two days later, the boys were well enough to get out of bed. After some initial words and half hearted shoves, they had agreed that each of them would spend two hours at a time on the laptop. They had even managed to wangle a kitchen timer from one of the orderlies. Just to make sure that neither of them went over the time limit.

"Well, gentlemen." Doctor Hobbes said as he came into the room. "How would you like another visitor?"

"Another one?" Luke asked.

"Who?" Bo added.

The doctor wheeled in a female. She was about twenty five years old, with wavy reddish blonde hair. Under the bruises was a peaches and cream complexion. And the greenest eyes either Duke had ever seen. "This is Sandy Beaumont." The doctor announced.

"Hi." Luke said. "My name is Luke Duke, and that … that person over there with the deer in the headlights expression on his face is my cousin, Bo Duke."

Bo sat a little straighter in his wheelchair. His hair became a little blonder and a little curlier, and his eyes turned a little bluer. He had a silly grin pasted on his face that seemed to go past his ears. "Hi … " He sighed without even moving.

"BO!" Luke shouted.

Bo shook his head as though he were coming out of a trance. "Oh, yeah. I'm Bo Duke. It's … It's nice to meet you."

"I'm so sorry you two were hurt. You have to know, I didn't mean it." Sandy said. "I lost control of the car just as I reached the top of the hill. It was as if it had a mind of its own. I tried to steer and brake, but nothing happened."

"We know. Cooter, he's the town mechanic, he told us that your car was tampered with." Luke said. Bo just continued to stare dreamy eyed at Sandy.

"That doesn't surprise me. This isn't the first time something like this happened to me. At first, it was just little things. About two months ago, a large piece of tile fell off the roof of the Wal-Mart where I worked. It almost landed on top of me. There were some workmen up there. They apologized profusely, and I forgot all about it. Then a week later, a car nearly ran me down as I was going to church. If someone hadn't yelled at me, I'd have been killed then and there. The car took off so fast, we didn't even have time to get a license number or even a good description of it. All I know for sure is that it was big and some dark color, but which color, I'm not sure. I think maybe green or even black. A couple of days later, I was positive someone was stalking me, but I never could get a good look at the guy. After that, I made sure that I was never alone and that I kept the doors and windows securely locked and the blinds pulled. Even in the daytime."

"Did you report it to the police?"

"Of course I did, but without something more concrete than what they had to go on, there wasn't much they could do.

Lately, things have gone from bad to worse. I thought if I were to get away from home for a while, things might quiet down, but they only escalated. In Knoxville, an explosion totaled my hotel room moments after I left it. The fire department said it was a faulty heater. I think it was deliberate. In Atlanta, they set my car on fire. The police are still investigating that one. That's when I rented that car and started traveling over the back roads. I hoped I could lose them that way. I guess I was wrong."

"And you have no idea who is doing this? Or why?"

"Not the foggiest clue. I mean, why would anyone want to kill a cashier from Pickerington Ohio? That's where I'm from. It's a small town, a suburb of Columbus. I was born and raised there. I mean, I'm not rich or famous or anything like that, and I've never been out of Central Ohio before in my entire life. Except for a few trips to Cedar Point or Kings Island when I was a kid."

**D-D-D-D-D-D**

Luke looked up from the laptop. His two hours were nearly up and Bo was waiting impatiently. "You know, Cuz." Luke said. "I've been thinking."

"Well, Cousin, that's certainly somethin' new for you. Be careful. Don't go strainin' nothin' while you're at it."

"No. Seriously. Do you realize we're the same age as our daddies were when they died?"

"Are you sure? After all, we barely knew our daddies. According to Uncle Jesse, mine died when I was only about a year and a half old. You were only three when your parents passed. What brought this on?"

"Actually, I've been thinking about it a lot since the accident. We ain't getting no younger, and we almost didn't get no older, neither. Maybe Mary Beth is right. Maybe it's time I did start thinking about settling down and raising the next generation of Duke boys. That is, if Mary Beth will have me."

"If she'll have you? Of course she'll have you. You're probably the only one around here who never noticed it, but she's been sweet on you since the sixth grade."

"In that case, would you be my best man? That is, if she says yes."

"You dang site better ask me to stand for you. If you asked anybody else, then I'd have to put you straight back in this here hospital."

**D-D-D-D-D-D**

"So, fellas." Daisy Duke said. "Are you ready to go home? I just talked to the Doctor and he said you could leave today."

"Ready?" Bo replied. "I've been ready since I woke up that first day. This whole week has been too long for me."

"Same here." Luke agreed.

"Good." Daisy said, setting a suitcase on the stand between the beds. "Here's your clothes. While you're getting ready, I'll be at the nurse's station taking care of the paperwork."

As Daisy approached the station, Sandy Beaumont came there at the same time. She had two soft plastic casts on her legs and was walking with a walker.

"I hear the boys are going home today." She told Daisy. "I think that's great. And I'm glad they don't blame me for the accident. I just wish I was getting out of here, too."

"Oh, Sandy. The way you're getting around, it won't be long before Doctor Hobbes releases you, too."

"That's not the problem. According to Dr. Hobbes, I could have left here yesterday. The trouble is, I have nowhere to go."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, I can't go back to Atlanta. And especially not to Ohio. Not with whoever is trying to kill me still on the loose. If it weren't for Sheriff Coltrane and Deputy Hogg, they might have tried again while I was in here. According to Deputy Hogg, there were some suspicious looking guys asking about me. When he and the Sheriff tried to question them, they took off in a hurry. Deputy Hogg thinks they might have been the ones who tampered with my car.

The thing is, even if I could leave here, where would I go? I don't have a car. Or a place to stay. Or any money. Or a job. In words of one syllable, I'm flat broke. It's just a good thing that the insurance on the rental car is paying the hospital bills."

"I tell you what. Why don't you come on out to the farm and stay with Bo and Luke and me? We got plenty of room, and I'd sure like the company of another woman around the house sometimes. There's so many things that a girl just can't talk to menfolk about."

"I appreciate the offer but ... I … I don't want to intrude."

"You wouldn't be intrudin'. Like I said, we got plenty of room, and I know the boys won't mind." Especially Bo. "Please say yes."

"Well ... When you put it that way ... Okay ... Yes."

**D-D-D-D-D-D**

The cavalcade pulled up to the Duke house. It would have been a difficult time getting the boys, Sandy, and all their assorted wheelchairs, walkers, and other medical supplies into one car. Or even two. Especially the Dixie. Or the General. That is, until Rosco, prompted by his sister Lulu, 'volunteered' a heavy duty truck from the Hazzard County Transportation Garage to bring them.

While Rosco, Cletus, Cooter and some of the other townfolk were unloading the truck, Daisy gave Sandy a quick tour of the house.

"This farm has been in the Duke family since 1754 when Ephraim Duke and his wife Matilda and their family settled it as part of a land grant from the Royal Governour of the Colony of Georgia. As Uncle Jesse always pointed out, that was even before there was a U S of A. There's been a Duke on this land ever since. Ephraim died in 1765, and his son, Cleve inherited the land. Cleve was killed during the Revolutionary War. Cleve's son Murdock took over the farm when he turned 18. His mother Judith Duke, ran it until then. My great, great, grandfather, Jeremiah Duke, built this particular house in 1868. It's the fourth house to stand on the property. The previous one burned down during the Battle of Hazzard."

"The Battle of Hazzard? I never heard of that one."

"Not too many people did. It wasn't exactly a major battle of the Civil War. Now, this ain't exactly the official version that's in the Hazzard County Historical Society archives. According to the 'official' story, three companies of Confederate soldiers held off a brigade of Union troops for two days before they finally routed them and forced them to retreat and join General Sherman's army on their way to sack Atlanta. According to the newspaper account in the Hazzard Gazette for the time, it was a fierce and bloody battle with numerous casualties on both sides and the entire area was pretty much laid to waste.

However, Uncle Jesse swore that his account of what happened is the true one. He heard it from his grandfather, who got it straight from his grandpa, who was none other than Jeremiah Duke himself. And Great Great Grandpa Jeremiah ought to know. He was there.

Seems a squad of Union soldiers was foraging for supplies when they came across Grandpa Jeremiah's still. Bein' that it was such a hot day and all, they decided to quench their thirst while they were there. A band of local volunteer militia was sent out to stop them. They had been ordered to protect the property. You see, the still was designated as a historical site by the Hazzard County Historical Society some years earlier. It was built in 1819 by Murdock's son Nathaniel, and it was the oldest working still in the county. In any case, it produced some of the best 'shine in the county. Well, by the time the militia reached the still, the Federals was pretty much on their way to bein' plastered, so the militia men decided to join them. After all, the temperature that day was hot, and the air was sticky, and they had marched all the way from town. The outcome was that by the time the sun went down, both sides were hootin', tootin' drunk.

There was only one casualty durin' this whole time. That happened when a Union soldier accidentally tripped over his own rifle and shot himself in the leg. Fortunately for him, it was only a flesh wound. When the injured soldier staggered backward, he knocked over the still. The 'shine burst into flames when it reached the campfire. It was nearly 100 percent pure alcohol, after all. That in turn set the house afire. That was the only thing that was destroyed. Other than the still, of course.

The local doctor was a member of the volunteer fire brigade that came up to put out the flames. He patched up the soldier while he was here. When the Union soldiers sobered up the next day, they took their wounded companion and staggered back to their lines. And that was the end of the famous Battle of Hazzard."

Sandy smiled broadly. "Somehow, I can believe that Uncle Jesse's story is the correct version."

Daisy stopped at the master bedroom. "You'll be using this room. It was Uncle Jesse's room. After he died, none of us could bring ourselves to sleep in it. Not that it's haunted or anything like that. It's just … well, it was his room."

"I'd be proud to stay in here. From what the boys have been telling me in the hospital, he was an exceptional man." She paused a moment. "You know, in a way, I sort of envy you. It must be something special to be able to track your ancestry back to before the Revolutionary War."

"I don't know about it bein' all that special. Almost everyone in Hazzard County can go back pretty far. Some, like Eli Puckett over in Havens Corners, can trace his family clear back to the original settlers of this area in the early 1600's. And Jewel Smithers over in Chickasaw, her people came here in 1709."

"They're lucky. My father was adopted, so we don't know anything about his birth family. He died when I was nine. A boating accident on Buckeye Lake.

On my mother's side, we don't know too much more. Her mother was an English war bride. She came to the US with her soldier husband after World War 2. Apparently, her family was wealthy, or something like that. Grandma was their only child. They didn't agree with her marrying an American. Something about contaminating the bloodline. After that, they didn't have very much to do with her. And Grandma didn't talk much about them either. I guess it was too painful. I can remember my grandfather, but Grandpa died when I was seven years old.

I remember seeing a few Christmas and birthday cards from my great grandparents when I was a little girl, but after Grandma died, we never heard anything more from England. It was as if we didn't exist as far as they were concerned. One of my middle names … Trelayne … is their family name. I guess my mother thought it might smooth the waters. Apparently it didn't.

Mom had an older brother, but Uncle Harry died in Vietnam in 1969. That was before I was born. He never married. Mom died two years ago. Cancer. I'm an only child. I remember Mother telling me that there were a few cousins back in England, but she didn't know exactly who they were. So, you see, for all practical purposes, I'm the lone branch on my family tree. From the looks of things, I may wind up being the only branch on this particular tree."

**D-D-D-D-D-D**

The man put the receiver back on the phone.

"Well, what's the latest?" His companion asked.

"It's not good. The old Duke's fading fast. I mean, the old geezer must be close to one hundred for chrissake. According to what my … friend says, he's only got maybe three or four months at the most."

"I guess that means we've got to try harder."

"You got that right. She's his only direct descendant. His great granddaughter. If she's still alive when he croaks, his great great nephews stand to lose a heap of money, not to mention the title."

"And from what I understand, the holdings of the Duke of Harwell ain't nothing to sneeze at."

**D-D-D-D-D-D**

Bo stopped the Dixie at the top of Gurley's Knob. From here, he had a 360 degree view of the heavens, and of nearly all of Hazzard County as well. He had taken Daisy's jeep simply because, with his broken leg and Sandy's sore ankles, getting in and out of the General was definitely too much of a hassle. The doctor had taken the soft casts off Sandy's legs two days ago, but she still limped noticeably. He tuned the radio to an easy listening station, unstrapped his seat belt, and eased toward the center of the seat. Sandy did the same. He reached around to the back seat and took out a small cooler and handed her a beer. From a box in the picnic basket, he took two pieces of fried chicken and a container of coleslaw. They ate in relative silence, too caught up in admiring the scenery to talk.

"You know, Bo." Sandy said as she leaned her head on his shoulder. "These last few weeks have been the best ones of my life. I don't know what I'm going to do when I have to leave here."

"Then why go?" Bo said as he put his arm around her shoulder. "You yourself said you ain't got no place to go back to. We all enjoy your company. I even think of you as sort of family, and I think Daisy and Luke do too. As far as any of us are concerned, you can stay here as long as you want. If you're worried about the money, Rosco told me that he's lookin' for someone to man the telephones at the police station while he and Cletus are out on patrol. Sort of like a dispatcher. It don't pay much, but it's steady work."

"I think that would be great. If you or Daisy want to drive me into town tomorrow, I'll talk to Sheriff Coltrane about it."

"Good. Now that that's settled, why not just relax and enjoy the view." Bo nuzzled her hair and Sandy gently bit the corner of his chin.

"I like this view." She said as she began to unbutton his shirt.

"Yeah. Me too." Bo agreed as he eased his hand under the tail of her blouse. "It's a real pretty view."

**D-D-D-D-D-D**

It was nearly evening when Bo and Sandy turned off County Highway 27 and onto Duke Road. Sandy gently nudged Bo. "Don't look now, but I think someone's been following us since we left Gurley's Knob a little while ago." She said. "They could be the same ones who tampered with my car."

Bo started to pull the Dixie off to the shoulder of the road. "I'll take care of them." He said angrily as he unbuckled his seat belt. "I promise they won't never hurt you again."

"No. Bo. Don't do anything foolish." Sandy said. She was clearly frightened. "If they are the ones who tried to kill me, you won't be any match for them. Not with that broken leg of yours. Please. Just keep driving. Maybe I was wrong. Maybe it's just a coincidence."

"And maybe I'm the long lost Czar of Russia. But you're right. I don't think I'm in any shape to take them on. But I know somebody who is." He replaced his seat belt and reached for Daisy's CB microphone. "Breaker. Breaker. This is Lost Sheep 2. Rosco? Cletus? Either of you got your ears on?"

"This is Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane. What you want, Bo?"

"Rosco. Sandy Beaumont and I are on the road to the farm just past County Highway 27. There's a late model black sedan following us. Sandy thinks it might be the same people who tried to kill her."

"Roger, Lost Sheep 2. I'm at Brogan's Run. Keep them busy like you used to do with Cletus and me. I'll be at Duke Road in about ten minutes. Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane out."

"Bo. This is Cletus. I'm on the Quarry Heights extension. I'll be there about the same time as the Sheriff. Over and out."

For the next ten minutes, Bo led the black sedan on a complicated possum hunt through the back country of Hazzard. Never far enough in front of them to lose them, but never close enough that they would have a chance to catch the Dixie.

"Bo." Rosco's voice came over the CB speaker. "Cletus and I are at the Bitter Canyon bypass. Now's the time to catch us some troublemakers. You lead 'em here and Cletus and I will do the rest."

Bo headed to Bitter Canyon. Ahead, he could see the two cruisers on either side of the road. As the Dixie drove by, both cars pulled onto the road. The last thing Bo saw in the rear view mirror was Rosco and Cletus with a man apiece spread eagled across the hoods of their patrol cars.

**D-D-D-D-D-D**

Luke and Daisy in Uncle Jesse's truck pulled up at the Hazzard County Court house at about the same time as the Dixie with Bo and Sandy arrived. All four of them practically ran inside. Well, Luke and Daisy ran. Bo and Sandy limped.

"I can't believe they've been caught." Sandy said as she and Bo went into the Sheriff's office. "That's a real relief. Now all we have to do is find out why they were trying to kill me."

The four of them stopped at the door and stood open mouthed. Sitting behind Rosco's desk were the men from the sedan. Rosco was sitting on a chair in front, and Cletus was perched on the edge of the desk. From the attitude of the two lawmen, it appeared to be more like a social visit than an interrogation.

"What the hell is going on here?" Sandy practically shouted. "These men tried to kill me and you two are treating them like they were some long lost relatives!"

"Not exactly, Miss Beaumont." One of the men, a tall well built man with a lion's mane of unruly blond hair said. "Allow me to explain. I am Agent Nick Davis. This is my partner Agent Barney Knotts." He pointed to the small thin man sitting beside him. "We're with the FBI." He took an ID case out of his pocket and showed them his badge. "It's true we were following you, but we weren't trying to kill you. We've been assigned to protect you. If you'll have a seat, I'll explain everything."

**D-D-D-D-D-D**

"I can't believe it!" Sandy said as they all drove to the Duke farm. "My great grandfather is nobility. And a Duke at that." She blushed slightly and gave an embarrassed laughed. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean that quite the way it sounded."

"That's okay. We're descended from real Dukes, too. That's probably where we got the name in the first place." Bo said. "Our cousin Gaylord over in England is a for real genuine Duke too. He's the Eighth Duke of Claringshire."

"At least you guys have known all along that you were related to nobility. I mean, I always knew that my grandmother's folks were wealthy, but if what Agent Davis says is true, they aren't just wealthy, they're filthy stinkin' rich. And to think that I'm the sole heir to all of that. No wonder my cousins want to see me dead. At least that's who the FBI thinks are behind these attempts on my life. The sad thing is, my great grandfather is ninety eight and he's dying and I don't even know him.

What did Agent Knotts say? That I'm 85th in line for the throne of England? Can't you see me as the next Queen?" She laughed softly and waved regally. "You may bow whenever I come into the room, my loyal subjects!" She said in a high, breathy falsetto.

"I know what you mean about your great grandfather. Cousin Gaylord's in his seventies. We only met him once, and that was a long time ago. Luke and me was just kids at the time. He's got you beat, though. He's 79th in line." Bo stuck his nose in the air and held his hand up, pinky finger extended. "Y'all may grovel any time you so desire … you peasant, you." He said in a terrible British accent. He laughed heartily, and Sandy joined him.

**D-D-D-D-D-D**

Daisy left Rhuebottom's General Store. Her arms were full of bags and boxes. It was so rare that she got the chance to go shopping like this lately. Usually it was a just a quick trip to the Piggly Wiggly in Wells Junction and then back to the farm. What with Bo and Luke convalescing, and Sandy, too, it kept her busy. True, she did still work the Boars Nest on weekends. Thankfully, Lulu was very understanding about her hectic schedule, and worked her hours around that.

With her packages blocking her vision, she did not even notice the man walking toward her. That is, until she nearly knocked him down.

"I'm sorry." She said as he got up off the sidewalk. "I hope I didn't hurt you or nothin'."

He didn't look at her. He just started to pick up the packages that were strewn all over the sidewalk.

Probably too angry to meet me face to face.

"That's all right. It wasn't your fault." He said. "I wasn't watchin' where I was going." There is something familiar about her voice. "Daisy?"

"That's okay. I should have been more careful too." There is something familiar about his voice. "Enos?"

"It IS you!" Daisy practically shouted as she hugged him. "What are you doin' here in Hazzard? How long will you be here? How come you didn't let anyone know you were comin'?" Her questions almost collided with each other. She barely noticed when he flinched and held his left arm. "Enos! You've been hurt!" She said, realization settling in.

Enos blushed slightly. "It ain't nothin' much." He said. "I got shot up a little bit a few weeks back and that's why I'm here. I thought I'd do my recuperatin' here in Hazzard instead of back in Los Angeles." His blush deepened. "This way, I could be closer to you."

**D-D-D-D-D-D**

Bo climbed up the small rise to the top of the low hill. This portion of the Hazzard Cemetery was the Duke family plot. There were numerous markers going all the way back to Ephraim Duke's in 1765. He was only interested in one tombstone right now. Before him was a large rust colored granite double headstone. On the right side was the inscription. Jesse Lee Duke 1925 -1995. On the left was another. Lavinia Elizabeth Duke 1929 - 1973. Beneath those inscriptions was the phrase - Together Forever. There were other graves in the same line. Harlan Cantrell Duke's was next, and beside that was Mavis Ruth Duke ... Luke's parents. Bailey Graham Duke and Lillian Agnes Duke's grave marker was beside theirs. They were Daisy's mother and father.

As best as he could, Bo knelt on the ground before the polished rust granite stone.

"I got a lot of thinkin' to do, Uncle Jesse. And I know whenever I needed help sortin' out what I had to do, I could always count on you to give me the advice I needed. You know I always thought of you as the father I never knew, so here goes …"

"Why don't you just go ahead and ask your father?" A voice from behind him asked. Bo looked up into a copy of his own face.

"Daddy?" He asked.

"Who else? In the flesh, so to speak." Matthew Duke answered as he sat on Jesse and Lavinia's headstone. As near as Bo could tell, he was solid, not transparent like he always imagined a ghost would be. "I've been watchin' out for you ever since you were born. Even after I died, I still kept an eye on you. Lots of times, the advice Jesse gave you was what I told him to tell you. I'd come to him in a dream of course. I let him believe that the things he told you was his own idea. It would have scared him clean outta his overalls to think he was bein' talked to by a ghost. Now then, what's your dilemma?"

Bo put hid head on his hands. "It's not easy, Daddy. You see, there's this girl ... Woman actually ... Her name is Sandy … Sandy Beaumont. We sorta ran into each other … literally. We was goin' up Gurley's Knob and she was comin' down … "

Matthew nodded. "I know what happened, son."

"That's right. Bein' a ghost and all, you probably would know just about everythin' that goes on."

"Sort of. Go on."

"Well, from the first time I saw her in the hospital room, something inside of me just kind of … I don't know … I ain't never felt this way about any girl … I mean … woman before. And I've been around a lot of women."

"I know."

Bo blushed noticeably. "I suppose you do, Daddy. But this is different. She's … She's so … and I'm … I'm … just ... "

"You're in love with her. Ain't you?"

"Yeah. That's it. I'm in love with her. Head over heels … stars in the sky ... out in the rain ... ten feet off the ground ... inside out ... upside down… total full goose bozo ... in love with her."

"So what's the problem?"

"The problem is … she's sort of royalty. I mean her great grandfather ... Nigel Trelayne ... He's a full blooded genuine English Duke. And when he dies, which could be any day now, she's going to inherit everything. She's going to be the Sixth Duchess of Harwell and all that goes with it. Me, I'm just a dirt grubbin' good ol' boy. I mean I don't belong in her uppity world and she sure don't belong in mine. I can't ask her to give up her title and her inheritance to marry me, now can I? Do you think she'd really be happy livin' on a farm when she could be residin' in a castle?"

Matthew Duke sat down beside his son. He shook his head slowly and a sad smile spread across his lips. "Son. I have a question for you. Could you be happy livin' in a castle with her?"

"Daddy, I'd be happy livin' in a pup tent with Sandy."

"In that case, I still don't see any problems. At least not whether you live here or in England. Have you asked her what she thinks of all of this?"

"Well, no, Daddy. The subject ain't exactly come up. I mean what if she don't feel the same for me that I'm feelin' for her? She ain't never said that she loves me or nothin' like that. In fact, she ain't even told me what she feels. What if she just wants to be friends? What if she tells me to stuff it in a sock? I don't think I could stand it."

"Son. You may be all growed up, but you sure ain't matured very much. You got to take a chance. True, she may say all those things. But then again, she may just be in the same predicament that you are. She may be feelin' these same things for you, and just be waiting for you to make the first move. If you ask her, she could say yes ... or she could say no. The chances are fifty-fifty. If you don't do anything, there's a hundred percent chance you'll lose her. Which is the best odds? Think about it."

"That's just what Uncle Jesse would have told me."

"I know. That's what I told him to tell you lots of times. Now, are you going to ask her or not?"

"I will, Daddy."

"You know, your mother and I weren't that much different than you and Sandy. We were both head over heels in love with each other, but neither one of us was willing to say anythin'. We were both afraid that the other one would reject what we felt for each other. So we just kept hemming and hawing around our feelings. Gettin' nowhere but frustrated."

"What changed your mind?"

"Your Uncle Jesse. He took me out behind the woodshed one day and beat some sense into me. Literally. He told me between blows that if I didn't ask Barbara Jean Conklin to marry me, the next whippin' he was going to give me would make this one look like a pat on the head. And then he was going to keep on whuppin me until he finally pounded some sense into my thick bull headed skull.

To make a long story short, that's exactly what I did. I told Barbara Jean how I felt and asked her to marry me. I was still scared she'd say no. I did it more to keep from bein' beaten up again than anything else. Jesse was right though. She was just waiting for me to say somethin' to her. We were married three months later." There was a satisfied smile on Matthew's face. "Don't make me have to go to Rosco or Cooter and ... convince them punch the tar outta you."

"You won't have to do that, Daddy. I'll talk to her. I promise."

Matthew Duke reached over and planted a soft kiss on his son's forehead. Bo closed his eyes. He had the distinct impression of his father kissing him like that when he was a baby. When he opened his eyes, Matthew was gone. Bo walked over to the grave. Matthew Joseph Duke - 1930 - 1961. Next to it was the marker - Barbara Jean Duke - 1933 - 1961. His mother.

"Thank you, Daddy." He said softly.

"You're welcome, Son." Echoed inside his head.

**********

Enos wiped his mouth on his napkin. " ... And that just about brings you up to date on what I've been doin' since I last seen you." He said to Daisy. "I'm sorry that I took up most of the dinner talkin' about myself." He reached across the table and took Daisy's hand.

"Oh Enos, that's no problem. I enjoyed hearin' about all your exploits in Los Angeles. It must be a real excitin' life you're leadin'." She took a sip of her coffee and moved slightly as the waitress at Maybelle's Restaurant removed the empty plates from the table.

Enos blushed slightly. "I guess I should be lettin' you be gettin' back to the farm and all." He said, picking up the check. "I mean with the boys and Sandy bein' injured, it must be a lot of extra work for you. I suppose it must be hard to get too much time to yourself."

"Actually, it's not all that hard anymore. At first it was, but now it's not so hard to get away for a few hours now and then. Sandy's been a big help, and now that the boys are nearly recovered, my workload is becoming almost easy."

"Then ... " Enos hesitated. "Would it be all right if I took you to the Palace Theater over in Haven's Corners tomorrow night? I understand they have a third copy of a first run motion picture showin' there all week."

This time it was Daisy's turn to blush. "Why, yes, Enos. That would be real nice. I think I'd like that an awful lot."

"What do you say I pick you up at about seven? I'll give you a call when I leave Cletus's place." He said. "That's where I'm stayin' while I'm here. I'm pretty sure Cletus'll let me borrow his truck. Or we could take the Dixie if you want."

As he finished loading her things into her jeep, he pulled her close to him. Almost simultaneously, he lowered his face to her as she raised her face to him. Their lips met, and for several minutes, the rest of the world vanished.

Enos walked ... floated ... all the way back to Cletus's house. Daisy ...

The Dixie virtually drove itself back to the Duke farm. Enos ...

**D-D-D-D-D-D**

Luke paced the sidewalk for the tenth time. He adjusted his shirt for the twentieth time and wiped the cold sweat from his hands onto his new jeans for the thirtieth time. He moved the box of Whitman's chocolates from under his left arm to under his right arm for the fortieth time and checked the bouquet of flowers for the fiftieth time.

Darn it. Mary Beth should have been home from work an hour and a half ago. If I have to wait any longer, I swear I'm gonna lose my nerve. Then he saw her car turn the corner. This is it ... No it ain't ... Yes it is ... One way or the other ... What if she says no? ... What if she won't talk to me? ... What if she yells at me like she did before? ... She never came to see me at the hospital and she hasn't answered any of my calls ... What if she meant what she said at the Boars Nest? ... What if she never wants to see me again? ... What if ... ? Luke swallowed. Hard. There's only one way to find out.

"Luke!" Mary Beth said as he thrust the candy and flowers at her almost before she was out of the car. "What are you doing here?"

"Mary Beth. We got to talk." He said as he followed her up to the door. "I know I ... "

"Look, Luke, I don't have time right now. I just came by to pick up some things I forgot this morning."

"But Mary Beth. You don't understand. I'm trying to apologize for bein' such a jerk at the Boars Nest the last time we were together. I can understand if you don't ever want to see me again, but please, at least let me say I'm sorry."

"Apologize? Boar's Nest? Never see you? What are you talking about?" Suddenly the light went on in her mind, and she cupped her hands to her face. "Now I understand. The fight? You think I'm still mad at you?" She shook her head slowly. "You think that's why I didn't come to see you in the hospital, and why I haven't been to the farm? You're wrong on all counts. I tried to call you and tell you what was going on. I left at least a dozen messages for you, but you never returned my calls. That's when I figured you were through with me. That YOU never wanted to see ME again.

I've been going over to Chickasaw every evening right after work to be with my sister Mary Jo. She's got real sick right after you and Bo had your accident, and she needs someone to take care of her and the girls while Everett is at work. You know he works evenings over at the Chickasaw Lumber Mill. Between work and takin' care of her, I ain't hardly had the time to breathe twice in a row. The only reason I'm here now is because I forgot my cosmetic case this morning."

Thank goodness for cosmetic cases. "I never got your messages. After two weeks in the hospital, there were so many messages on the answering machine that it was impossible to listen to them all so we just deleted them all. We must have erased yours as well.

Do you mind if I went with you to Chickasaw? What I got to say is real important. The rest of our lives may depend on it."

"No, I don't mind at all. In fact, I think you should come with me. There's something I've been meanin' to say to you too."

**D-D-D-D-D-D**

They were almost to the Chickasaw County line. It was a good thing that the Dukes' probation had ended years ago, or Sheriff Little would most certainly have been waiting on the other side of the sign indicating the boundary between Hazzard and Chicasaw counties.

"I've been thinking about what you said at the Boars Nest." Mary Beth said. It was the first thing either of them had said since they left Hazzard.

"But you don't understand ... " Luke tried to explain.

"I think I do. Don't try to interrupt me. I've got to get this off my chest now or I'll never be able to do it. You were right, Luke. I was pushing you. I know you said you didn't want to get involved. I tried hard not to fall in love with you, but I did it just the same. I guess that I thought that just because I felt the way I did about you, that you felt the same way about me. I guess I confused like with love."

"Mary Beth ... I ... "

"I said let me finish. What I'm trying to say is that in spite of all, I still want to be your friend. We've known each other since grade school, Luke Duke. I don't want that friendship to end because of some stupid notion I got that you were in love with me. I know you don't want to be tied down and I don't want to tie you down, either."

"MARY BETH!!"

"WHAT!!"

"How am I supposed to propose to you if you keep on chatterin' like some chipmunk that's been suckin' on a helium filled balloon?"

"Propose?"

"Yeah. Propose." Luke held the ring in front of her face. While it was not an expensive ring, it was the most expensive one that Luke could afford. "It's you that don't understand. What I've been tryin' to tell you is that I DO feel the same way you do. I love you, Mary Beth Higgins. I guess I've been in love with you ever since the seventh grade. I was so busy chasin' after things that don't matter, that I couldn't see that what did matter was right here beside me all the time ...You. I realized while I was in the hospital that what I wanted to do was to spend the rest of my life bein' tied down to you. In matrimony. So. Here goes … " He took a deep breath. " ...Will you marry me?"

Mary Beth jerked her car off the shoulder of the road where it had swerved, and then brought it to a stop at the nearest suitable place. "What did you say?"

Luke opened his door and went to her side of the car. He opened the door and got down on one knee. "I said. Mary Beth Higgins. Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?" He slipped the ring onto her left hand.

**D-D-D-D-D-D**

Sandy was sitting on the porch when Daisy returned to the farm. She looked like her world was about to end.

"Sandy." Daisy said as she sat beside her friend. "What's got you lookin' so down? I'd have thought that the news that you were goin' to be rich and a Duchess an' all that would make you happy. I mean, I know that you're kinda sad that you never even got to meet your great grandfather, but there's something else botherin' you, ain't there?"

"You're right, Daisy. There is something else. It's Bo."

"BO? What's my fool knuckleheaded numbskull of a cousin gone and done to you?"

"Nothing. And that's part of the problem. In the past weeks, I've grown very fond of all of you. You've been almost like family to me. Especially Bo. The thought of leaving him behind and moving to England is almost more than I can think about right now. Daisy. I think I'm in love with him. Does that make any sense?"

"Yes it does. And I'm pretty sure he loves you too. I've seen the way he looks at you. 'Specially when he thinks nobody's watchin'. If that ain't the look of love, I don't know what is. Maybe you ought to have a talk with him. Tell him how you feel. Maybe if he knows that you love him too, he'll do something about it. Like ask you to marry him."

"I can't do that, Daisy. I mean we're from two different worlds. Even if I wasn't about to become nobility, I don't think Bo would be happy married to me. I mean, I'm a total city girl and he's one hundred percent country."

"I don't know about that. You're fittin' in here pretty good."

"You mean like the time that I tried to milk Melvin?"

"That wasn't your fault. You didn't know he was a bull. It could have happened to anyone. Give yourself time. I still say you should tell him how you feel. You never know what might happen. If you don't say anythin', you'll never know what could have been."

"That sounds like very good advice, Daisy."

"It should be. That's pretty much what Uncle Jesse always told us when we didn't know which way to turn. Take a chance. Otherwise you'll spend the rest of your life wonderin' what if."

"I sort of knew your Uncle Jesse had to have been a wise man. He raised you three, didn't he? He had to have some kind of smarts to do that. You're right. I'll talk to Bo at the first opportunity."

**D-D-D-D-D-D**

"She said WHAT?" Bo practically shouted at his cousin.

"She said YES! Mary Beth said yes!" Luke practically floated a foot off the ground.

"Told you she would, didn't I, Cuz?" Bo grabbed Luke in a bear hug and the two of them spent the next few minutes thumping and slapping the stuffing out of each other.

"Now it's your turn." Luke said.

"My turn? For what?"

"Just in case you really are as dumb as you look, every time you and Sandy come within twenty feet of each other, the world stops for the two of you. I'd definitely call that twitterpated."

"What?"

"Twitterpated. Infatuated. Smitten. Love struck. You do remember the movie Bambi, don't you?"

"Oh yeah. Twitterpated."

"And you had better do something about it real soon." Luke said solemnly. "Otherwise I'm gonna have to take you out behind the barn and beat the livin' daylights outta you. Maybe that will make you realize what a great thing you got with her."

For a split second, Bo saw Matthew Duke's face superimposed on his cousin's. The specter of his father winked broadly at his son and then faded away.

**D-D-D-D-D-D**

" ... Yeah. I understand ... No, we haven't been able to get to her. She's probably more closely guarded than Fort Knox. There's always somebody with her. Either one of the Dukes, or the Sheriff or his Deputy. Now there's even two FBI agents assigned to the case. Yeah ... We'll keep tryin' but ... Now, don't go getting your wicket all sticky. One way or another, she'll be dead before the old geezer checks out." He hung up the phone and turned to his companion.

"You'd think he was the king or something the way those nephews are goin' on about gettin' rid of his great granddaughter. I guess we'll just have to do something outright. I don't think we have the luxury of tryin' to make it look like an accident anymore."

The other one turned the page of the newspaper and a wicked smile crossed his lips. "Maybe we still do have a chance. Here is the ideal opportunity." He said as he handed the paper to his companion. He pointed to an article. 'Hazzard County Fair and Founder's Day Picnic.' The headline proclaimed.

"It's perfect. There'll be folks from all over the area there. Who's gonna notice two extra ... good ol' boys ... hanging around." He too smiled evilly. "And there's so many unhealthy things going on there, too. So many dangers that could kill an unsuspecting body."

**D-D-D-D-D-D**

Bo handed the tickets to the taker at the fair gate and put his arm around Sandy as they entered the midway. She had initially balked at going to the festivities, saying that it was for Hazzard residents and that she would feel like some kind of an outsider. Bo was insistent, and finally she had given in.

"If we hurry, we can still go down to the raceway and check out the cars before the start of the Hazzard 100." Bo said as he led her toward the line of stock cars in the holding area of the grandstand track. Conspicuously missing was a certain orange Dodge. "Me and Luke enter the General nearly every year, and we've won most of them. Couldn't do it this year on account of our injuries." He leaned heavily on the cane. The cast had come off his leg a week ago, but it still was none too steady.

Sandy watched as Bo talked with the other drivers and mechanics. She liked cars, and she definitely more-than-liked Bo. But to stand there and listen to them talking and debating about turning radiuses and compression ratios was, in her opinion, the epitome of boring. She spotted the Homemakers pavilion. At least canning recipes, pies, and quilts were something she could relate to. If only as an observer. She doubted that he would even notice that she was no longer by his side.

In the shadows, two men watched her leave the pit area and walk across the midway. "Now's our chance." Number One said to the other. Quietly, they slipped in behind her.

Sandy tried to scream as someone grabbed her. She managed to get out a small shrill shriek before she felt the needle prick at the back of her neck. She managed to take a few wobbly steps before the midway began to weave and ripple beneath her. Gradually, everything was sucked into a greenish gray whirlwind. Then there was nothing.

The men steadied her between them and started for the path that led by Miller's Creek. The area had been cordoned off due to the dangerous conditions, and a sign warned people to keep out. The ancient wooden guardrail had deteriorated with age, and there was considerable danger of falling down the high steep embankment into the fast moving current. One of them moved the sawhorse that blocked the path out of the way and then they took the unconscious woman onto the deserted path.

"It's a cryin' shame, isn't it?" Number One said. "Somehow that barrier got moved and this poor girl wandered in here and lost her footing."

"Yeah." Number Two said. "She never had a chance." He sat Sandy on the ground and positioned her along the edge of the precipice at a gap in the rail. Then he gave her a shove. "Pity there wasn't a guardrail here. It might have saved her life." Sandy rolled down the cliff and hit the water with a loud splash. They watched for a few moments as she floated face down in the stream. Satisfied, they went back along the path and rejoined the throngs of fairgoers.

**D-D-D-D-D-D**

" ... And you really think that adjusting the sparkplug gap like that is going to give you any better firepower?" Bo asked the mechanic. "Personally, I think you'd be a lot better off if you retooled the ... " His sentence was interrupted as an ambulance screamed through the crowd and headed for Miller's Creek.

Seconds later, Cooter Davenport came up to him.

"What's going on over there?" Bo asked.

"That's what I came to tell you. It's Sandy. She fell in the creek. Mervin Blooter spotted her down there and called 911." Cooter said at almost a dead run as he tried to keep up with his long time friend. Even with a cane, Bo was moving at almost breakneck speed. "He'd gone back there to sample some of Buford T.'s latest batch. That's when he saw her floatin' in the water." He nearly ran into Bo as the younger Duke stopped and stared at the scene below him.

Aided by several of the fairgoers manning the ropes, two Emergency Medical Technicians were being lowered down the cliff. Between them the EMTs had a wire stretcher. Bo could see Sandy lying in the creek. Her shirt was snagged on a partially sunken tree branch. If she hadn't gotten caught, she would probably have been carried downstream for several miles by the swift current.

"By the way." Cooter asked. "Where's them two FBI guys that were supposed to be watchin' her?"

"I told them to take the day off." Bo said. "I told them I'd be with her and I'd see to it that nothing would happen to her." He drew a heavy breath and swallowed hard. "Some bodyguard I am. I was so busy ratchet jawin' with those mechanics in the pit, I clean forgot about her. Now she ... " He gave a strangled cry. "She can't be dead. She just can't be."

Slowly, the rescuers raised the stretcher with the unconscious Sandy strapped to it. The EMTs followed. When they had her on the path, one of the EMT's placed an oxygen mask on her while another took her vital signs.

"Well?" Bo asked, almost demanded.

"It's not good. She appears to have taken in a good deal of water." The Emergency Technician said. "We managed to clear most of it out before we brought her up, but she still isn't responding like she should be. We're getting ready to transport her to Tri County General."

"I'm goin' with her." Bo said as he climbed into the back of the ambulance. Something in his eyes told the Tech that it would be useless to try and stop him.

**D-D-D-D-D-D**

The ambulance had wasted no time getting them to Tri County General Hospital. Again, Bo insisted on staying with Sandy. Again, the people in the Emergency Room realized it would have been futile to refuse him.

"Sandy! Sandy!" Bo half cried as he held her hand tightly. "You can't die on me. Not when I just found you. I love you, Sandy. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I've known a lot of women, but none of them could hold even a tiny little candle to you. I don't know if you feel the same way about me or not, but it don't matter none. Just don't die, Sandy. Even if we never do get together, just knowin' you're alive, that'll be enough for me."

Sandy coughed and sputtered and slowly opened her eyes. " Bo ... " She whispered hoarsely. He barely heard her with the mask and the noise of the monitors.

"I'm right here, Sandy. I ain't goin' nowhere."

"Did you ... mean ... what ... just said?" She mumbled groggily.

"Every word of it. I love you with everything I got. And then some. Even if you don't feel the same way as ... "

"But I ... feel ... same way ... Love ... you ... Bo."

"I know that this ain't exactly the most romantic place to do this, but ... " He knelt down beside the gurney. "Alysande Genevieve Trelayne Beaumont. Will you marry me?"

**D-D-D-D-D-D**

"... And then somebody grabbed me from behind and injected something into my neck." Sandy told Rosco, Cletus, and the FBI agents. In addition, all the Dukes and Enos and Mary Beth were there, too.

"Succinolcholine." Doctor Hobbs said. "An anesthetic. Used principally for minor outpatient surgical procedures. It's usually diluted in an IV drip. Fortunately, the dose you received was nowhere near fatal. It's a good thing it was injected it into the muscle too. It's a lot less powerful that way than if they had injected it into a vein. We were able to administer an antidote to counteract it relatively quickly. There should be no residual effects. You can go home as soon as we're sure it's all out of your system."

"And you didn't see anyone?" Agent Knotts asked.

"No one. Like I said, whoever did this was behind me. But I'll bet a dollar to a bag of peanuts that it's the same lowlifes who have been trying to kill me all along."

"And I wouldn't bet against you." Agent Knotts commented.

"I feel responsible." Bo said. "If I hadn't been jabberin' my jaw off with those grease monkeys ... I should have been watching out for you."

"You aren't to blame. I am." Sandy countered. "I had no business going off on my own like that. I should have at least let you know I was leaving."

"Wait a minute you two. Time out." Agent Davis said, holding up his hands in a 'T'. "If anybody's to blame, it's those ... goons who pushed you off the cliff. You can claim all the ... should have's ... could have's ... would have's ... in the universe from now 'till hell freezes over. It won't change what happened. Just be glad that Mervin Blooter happened along when he did. Otherwise ... " He left the sentence incomplete. "To spite what you think, you did a good job of protecting her, Bo. I doubt if Barney or I could have done any better. As determined as these people are, I don't think there's any way to completely protect her. Short of putting Sandy in protective custody in the Hazzard County Jail with a 24 hour guard on her."

"And that's out of the question. Especially now." Bo said. "We got us another wedding to plan. Just before y'all came in, I asked Sandy to marry me."

"And I said yes." Sandy added.

**D-D-D-D-D-D**

The volume level in the Duke kitchen was almost unbearable. Bo, Luke, Sandy and Mary Beth were all talking at the same time, at almost supersonic speed, and at roughly the same noise level. They were each discussing and debating their wedding plans and how they were going to handle two weddings within a few days of each other.

Enos tugged at Daisy's sleeve. "Why don't we go outside and get away from all this noise?" He said.

He led her to the Dixie and motioned for her to get in. "Give me the keys." He asked

"What for?" She said as she handed him the car keys. "I thought we were just going outside." Daisy asked as Enos started the jeep and pulled onto Duke Road.

"We are." Enos replied. "But with all the confusion in there, I thought maybe you'd like to get a meal in some nice quiet place."

**D-D-D-D-D-D**

He pulled into the parking lot of the restaurant and got out.

"Enos." Daisy said as he helped her out of the jeep. "I thought you said we were going to a nice place. This is the La Chez Verde. It ain't just nice, it's the highest class restaurant in the county."

"I know." He said as the Maitre D' showed them to a table. "I got something to talk to you about, and I wanted it to be in a real nice atmosphere."

The waiter took their order.

"This ain't easy to say, Daisy. I been givin' it a whole lot of thought. You know my arm is just about as good as new. I got a lot of feelin' in it now. Almost as much as I had before I was shot. The folks over at Tri County General have done a great job rehabilitatin' me. That means I got to be thinkin' about goin' back to Los Angeles in a coupla more weeks."

"I know. It's been great havin' you here, Enos. Almost like before you left. I'm gonna miss you a lot."

"That's just it. I really enjoyed bein' here with you, too. I missed you a lot too. I realized that I made a big mistake by leavin' Hazzard the way I did."

"Does that mean you're gonna stay here?" Daisy's face brightened measurably. "Rosco can always use another deputy. What with that new housing development goin' up on Hunters Ridge, there'll be lots more work than him and Cletus can handle."

"No, Daisy. That ain't what I mean. I'll always be a country boy at heart, but now that I've had me a taste of big city life, I don't know if I can ever go back to bein' just plain Deputy Sheriff Enos Strate ever again. There's so much to do in the big city. Things we only dreamed of doin' here. Places to go we ain't never even dreamed of goin'. You'll love it there. What I'm tryin to say is, I want you to come back to Los Angeles with me."

He reached into his pocket and took out a dark blue suede covered box. He opened it. It contained a ring, obviously older, but exquisitely designed. "This was my mother's ring. She left it to me in her will. Uncle Jesse gave it to me on my twenty first birthday. According to the will, I was to give it to the woman I wanted to spend the rest of my wife with. That's you, Daisy. It always has been you. I got it out of the safety deposit box at the Hazzard Bank when I first came to town. I was just waitin' for the right time to give it to you, and this is it."

He got down on his knees in the middle of the dining room. "I don't just want you to come to Los Angeles with me. I want you to come to Los Angeles with me as my wife. What I'm askin' you is this … Daisy Mae Duke. I love you with all my heart and soul. I've been in love with you ever since I first set eyes on you when I was three years old. Will you marry me?"

You could have heard a pin drop as everyone in the restaurant focused their attention on their table, waiting for her answer.

The silence seemed to go on forever.

"Yes." She finally whispered.

The applause was deafening.

**D-D-D-D-D-D**

"Oh GREAT!" Luke said after Daisy and Enos had broken the good news to him and the others. "What I mean is ... it's great that you two are getting married and all that. But it really complicates things. I mean, it was hard enough trying to plan two weddings. What with scheduling the church, reserving the Boars Nest for the receptions, flowers, bands, and everything else. Now with three weddings, it's going to be a real nightmare to see that no one gets short changed. And I don't even want to think about the expense." He shook his head slowly.

"I got an idea, Cuz." Bo said.

"Well, keep it to yourself." Luke replied.

"But I … "

"I told you to button it!" Luke snarled sharply. "I got enough problems without listening to one of your harebrained schemes."

"But this …"

"I SAID HUSH UP!"

"LUCAS K. DUKE!" Daisy admonished her cousin. "You ain't got no business snappin' at Bo like that. Let him talk. I mean it's his and Sandy's wedding, too."

"Sorry, Bo." Luke said, shamefully hanging his head. "I guess all this is comin' on so fast and it's got me frazzled. I didn't mean to take your head off like that. What's your idea?"

"That's okay. I understand. We're all a bit wound up about all of this." Bo said reaching across the table and patting Luke's arm. "I guess tempers are bound to fray a little bit. Anyways, my idea is this. Instead of three weddin's, why don't we have just one? We could all get married at the same time. You know. A triple weddin'. That way, we'd only need one ceremony. One reception. One band. And only one of all the rest of the things, too."

Luke reached across the Duke's kitchen table and kissed his cousin full on the lips. "To spite what everybody says, sometimes you do come up with a brilliant idea. A triple wedding! I like it."

"Me, too." Daisy agreed.

"Thanks ... " Bo said, wiping his mouth with the sleeve of his shirt. " ... I guess." He grabbed his cousin by the shirt front and pulled him to his face. "But if you ever kiss me like that again ..." He said in mock anger. " ... so help me, I'll knock you clean into next week. I ain't that kinda guy, and you know it. And neither are you."

For the rest of the evening, there was organized cacophony as plans were laid out for a wedding that, in the opinion of everyone concerned, would 'knock the socks off Hazzard well into the next century'.

Finally, with a great deal of negotiating, compromising, and just plain debating, the wedding plans were settled.

While the Three Possum Run Community Church would be adequate for one wedding, the Gazebo in Hazzard Square would be a much better place for this occasion.

It went without saying that the reception would be held at the Boars Nest.

Rosco P. Coltrane, as Justice of the Peace, would perform the ceremony(s), with Cletus Hogg acting as his assistant and a sort of director to make sure everything went off on time and as planned.

Lulu Hogg would act as the mother of the Brides, and Cooter Davenport agreed to escort the ladies down the aisle and give them away.

They would each act as each other's best men and maids of honor.

Oh, yes, and finally, the wedding would be in six weeks.

**D-D-D-D-D-D**

"I still don't understand why we're setting up this speed trap." Cletus Hogg asked Rosco.

"As I explained to you at least a dozen times, you dipstick." Rosco replied as he pasted the 25 MPH sign over the legitimate speed limit of 55 MPH. "There's this big time concert in Atlanta three days from now. Everybody who is anybody will be performin' in it. If we're gonna get us a big name personality to play at the Duke's weddin' we gotta stop them now so's I can give 'em a court date for the day of the ceremonies."

"But since they completed the interstate, hardly nobody uses this road to go to Atlanta no more. How do you plan on stoppin' anybody?"

Rosco rolled his eyes at his deputy. "Simple. They gotta come this way because of the detour on the interstate."

"But there ain't no detour on the interstate."

Rosco gave his signature laugh. "There is one now!"

**D-D-D-D-D-D**

Rosco waved the mobile home on its way. On the side was painted the stylized word KISS.

"Why'd you let them go?" Cletus asked.

"They ain't nothin' but a bunch of idiots!" Rosco said. "Who would ever want to listen to those guys runnin' around in all that makeup and with a name like that? Betcha they're one of the openin' acts. We don't need a bunch of clowns like that at the weddin'."

They didn't have long to wait for the next trailer.

"There's a reason they call it UNDER wear, Missy." Rosco informed the next driver. "Does your mother approve of what you're wearing? I'll betcha she don't. And I bet that teeny little bra must really hurt, too. I mean it's at least two sizes too small, and there ain't nothin' to it either. Rhuebottom's store in town has some really nice fittin' clothes. Why don't you take a small detour and buy yourself some stuff that fits?"

"Jeesh." He said as the driver pulled away in a cloud of dust. "You'd think with a name like Madonna, she'd be dressed proper, wouldn't you?"

In the distance, they could see the next prospective band coming down the road.

"I saw that, Miss Sin-ee-aid O'Conner!" Rosco yelled as the next bus pulled away. "Next time use all five fingers when you wave goodbye at somebody. I ought to run you in for making obscene gestures to a po-lice officer. And you put some decent clothes on, too!"

**D-D-D-D-D-D**

Rosco sat dejectedly in the cruiser. "Three hours and all we've seen is a bunch of weirdoes, jokers and freaks." He complained to Cletus. "What kind of concert they havin' in Atlanta anyway?"

Cletus picked up the flyer from the front seat of the cruiser. "Accordin' to this, it's called Fringes Of Civilization. Must be to benefit the Historical Society. Or maybe they're promotin' some sort of arts and crafts festival."

Just then, another travel trailer came into view.

"I know that one!" Rosco beamed. "That belongs to Miss Loretta Lynn. She's an honest to goodness singer. Not like those buffoons we been stoppin'."

Loretta pulled to a stop beside Rosco. "What's the matter, Sheriff?" Then she noticed the altered speed sign. "Let me guess. Doin' 55 in a 25 zone. I thought the Celebrity Speed Trap went out of business when Boss Hogg died."

"Yes, ma'am. We kinda quit usin' it when Uncle Boss died, Miss Lynn." Cletus explained. "But this is sorta like an extra special Celebrity Speed Trap. You see, there's gonna be this big Duke family weddin' in six weeks, and we ... I mean Sheriff Coltrane that is ... thought we could get somebody to perform at the reception this way."

"Well, why didn't you say so in the first place!" Loretta said. "My boys and I would be honored to perform at the reception. Which one of the Dukes is getting married?"

"They all are." Rosco replied. "It's goin' to be a triple weddin'. That's why we need an extra special performer. And if I do say so myself, you're about the most extra special performin' person I ever had the honor of arrestin', Miss Lynn."

"And you're still the slyest, connivinest, slickest snake oil pitchman I know of." Loretta replied.

Rosco blushed noticeably and doffed his hat. "Why, thank you. Miss Lynn."

"Sheriff." Cletus whispered. "I don't rightly think that was a compliment."

"What would you know?" Rosco said as he hit the deputy squarely in the chest with this hat. "You wouldn't know a compliment if it walked up and shook hands with you. Especially one from a true lady like Miss Lo-retta Lynn." He put his battered hat back on. "Don't mind him none, Miss Lynn. Just you and your boys be here six weeks from now. I'll see to it that you get all the details. We still have all your information on file from the last time we arrested you. By the way. What're you doin' on the road to Atlanta. Don't tell me you're performin' in that big concert, too?"

"Are you kidding? It's strictly for New Age and Heavy Metal musicians. That is, if you want to call them musicians. To me, their so called songs are nothin' but a lot of racket. Gives me a headache. You'd never catch a good old country gal like me singing there in a million years." Loretta replied. "I'm on my way to Elderberry Grove to visit my newest granddaughter."

"Well, give her a kiss for me." He waved the trailer through.

"I guess I'd better get them detour signs off the interstate now that we got our band for the reception." Rosco practically swaggered back to his cruiser.

**D-D-D-D-D-D**

"Cletus!" Rosco stage whispered to the deputy. "Keep that flashlight still! How am I supposed to use my officially authorized undercover covert lock pickin' tool kit to open the door to the Boar's Nest if you don't keep the light nice an' steady?"

"But Boss, why do you have to pick the lock in the first place?" Cletus asked.

"Like I told you. The Boars Nest is closed tonight so's the ladies can have their bridal shower for Daisy, Mary Beth and Sandy over at Lulu's house. The way I figured it, this was the perfect time for us to hold the bachelor party for the guys. Only, I couldn't rightly ask my sister for the keys. That would have given away what we were plannin' to do tonight."

"But ain't what you're doin' illegal? I mean, this is breakin' and enterin' ain't it?"

"How can it be illegal? I am a duly sworn officer of the law after all."

"I still say we should use a key."

"And I told you, we ain't got ... " Rosco stopped and stared as Cletus held up the key to the back door of the tavern. " ... Where'd you get that?"

"Uncle Boss always kept a spare key taped to the top of the molding just above the door. I figured that maybe Aunt Lulu might keep one there, too." Cletus smiled proudly. "I was right."

"And just how did you know about it?"

"I seen Uncle Boss use it one time." Cletus grinned. "Now, how do we get the boys here? And all the others for the party?"

"Simple. I let it be known a coupla days ago that the party would start about 8. Them FBI men, Agent Davis and Agent Knotts, they're gonna get the Dukes and Enos here. The rest of the guys should be arrivin' any minute now. C'mon, there's a lot we got to do before they start comin'."

Just then, Buford T. Goodman pulled up. In the back of his truck were at least a dozen plastic gallon jugs filled with a clear liquid.

"That what I think it is?" Cletus asked, pointing to the bottles.

"Yup!" Buford said, snapping his suspenders against his chest. "Best 'shine in the county. Ran it off special just for tonight. I made the 'shine for Jesse Duke's bachelor party. And for Harlan Duke's ... and Bailey's ... and Matthew's party too. And just about everybody else what's gotten themselves hitched over the last forty five years. Includin' J.D. Hogg himself. I guess that makes me sorta the Official Bachelor Party 'Shine Maker for Hazzard County. I sure wasn't gonna be left out of this one."

"Good goin', Buford T." Cletus picked up several of the jugs. "Let's hurry and get it inside before everybody starts arrivin'."

**D-D-D-D-D-D**

Daisy held up the red lace teddy to the ooh's and ahh's of the other ladies. Sandy put the cut-oh-so-skimpy bra and panties set to her chest, as Mary Beth pranced around the Hogg living room modeling the nearly see through beige chiffon negligee that was slit to the hip.

"If that don't get their motors runnin', nothin' will." Ms. Tisdale said as she waggled her eyebrows leeringly.

"Somehow, I have the feeling these things didn't come from Rhuebottom's." Mary Beth said.

"Victoria's Secret catalog." Ellie Puckett smugly informed her. "Where else? We all chipped in and sent away for them right after we found out about the weddin'."

"You know." Lulu Hogg said. "This party is gettin' just a little too spicy for the cake and coffee I got in the dinin' room. We really should go somewheres special to celebrate."

"And I know just the place!" Daisy said.

"Where's that?"

"Fire House Number 6 in Atlanta."

"A fire house? Why'd we want to go clean to Atlanta and see a bunch of fire engines? That ain't nothin' special." Augusta Pruett groused. "We can do that right here in Hazzard."

"No, silly." Sandy explained. "Fire House Number 6 is a night club."

"Ain't that the one that has the all male review?" Mary Beth asked.

"That's the one. They call it Fire House Number 6 because it's in a converted fire station. Besides, they claim that the men on the stage are so hot that some of the women in the audience need to be hosed down after the show's over."

"Well then, what are we standin' around here for?" Lulu grabbed her purse.

**D-D-D-D-D-D**

All the ladies had a wonderful time at Fire House Number 6. The food was excellent, and the floor show was everything it was touted to be. They all whistled and cheered loudly as the skimpily clad bronze and chocolate hunks bumped and ground their way around the stage. By the time the show was over, they were all properly intoxicated, and properly ... stimulated as well. It was easy to see that the nightclub's slogan had more than a grain of truth to it. The estrogen level in the main room was almost off the charts.

Thankfully, no one had gotten too out of hand. Except possibly Augusta Pruitt, who was still clutching the purple and gold g-string to her bosom when they dropped her off at her house.

**D-D-D-D-D-D**

Lulu Hogg went to the Boars Nest the next morning to start getting it ready for the reception that was to take place in two days.

"Well, if this ain't a pretty sight!" Lulu mused as she surveyed the main room of the Boar's nest. Or more precisely, what was left of the main room of the Boars Nest. While most of the furniture was still intact, several pieces had been reduced to little more than kindling. Empty plastic jugs littered the floor, nestled among the remnants of potato chips, pretzels and popcorn.

She ejected the tape that was in the VCR at the bottom of a wide screen TV. When she read the label, she blushed vividly. She was absolutely positive that it did not come from the Blockbuster over in Sugar Grove. In the middle of the room was what was left of a five foot tall painted cardboard layer cake with the tissue paper top torn off. Lulu knew what that had been for. There was also a washtub filled with what looked like lime jello and several pairs of rubber boots sitting against the far wall underneath the moose head. She decided that she REALLY didn't want to know what that had been used for.

On the tables and chairs were slumped more than a few bodies in various stages of sobriety, or lack thereof. Several more were on the floor. Most of them were still unconscious.

Luke Duke opened one bleary eye and shakily put a finger to his lips. "Lulu. Please. Don't breathe so loud. It hurts my head."

"You bean you schtill gob a heapd?" Bo mumbled from under the table where he was sprawled.

"I think so. And it's about the size of a weather balloon."

"I know just what you guys need." Lulu went behind the bar. She managed to find what she needed amid the mass of spilled bottles and half used condiments. Moments later, she brought out a pitcher of something vaguely orange in color, and several glasses.

"Here, drink this. I'll make everything all right again."

"I just had a few glasses of that special stuff that Buford T. made." Enos protested as Lulu poured him a glass. "Everyone said it was just the same as lemon lime soda. At first it was awful, but by the fifth or sixth glass, it was startin' to taste pretty good. Never really did taste like lemon lime soda, but by that time I didn't care. I didn't get drunk, though. At least I don't think I did."

"Then why were you and Barney out on the road trying to roll up the yellow line?" Nick Davis asked.

"And we almost did it, too." Barney Knotts added, hiccupping loudly.

"Don't worry about the men's room." Jeb Puckett said. "We'll clean it up later."

"What about the men's room?"

"Well, some of us can't hold their liquor as well as the rest of us can." Jeb stared at Enos and Barney.

"How would you know about what happened in the restroom, Jeb?" Buford T. asked him. "You said you wasn't never goin' back in there again 'til they installed seat belts on the toilets."

Cooter Davenport took a glass from Lulu and took a drink. He gagged and nearly spit it out. "What is that stuff? It tastes like something the cat would do in the litter box!"

"For your information, that's Grandma Coltrane's hangover cure. Grandma Coltrane swore by it."

"And if I remember rightly, Grandpa Coltrane swore at it." Rosco added.

"Never you mind. It works. Drink up."

"I will, Aunt Lulu." Cletus mumbled. "As soon as I find my mouth."

**D-D-D-D-D-D**

Bo, Luke and Enos stood in the Commissioner's Office at the Hazzard County Court House. They were using the building as their dressing area since it was across the square from the gazebo. The women were in the courtroom across the hall.

Bo loosened and redid his tie. Another time.

"Bo Duke!" Rosco admonished. "If you don't quit fussin' like that, I'm gonna have to arrest you for destruction of property. That's the umpteenth time you fixed that tie. You do that one more time and it ain't gonna be nothin' but shreds." Rosco adjusted his own tie. Again.

"What's the matter, Cuz?" Luke asked. "You ain't gettin' cold feet, are you?"

"No. But are you sure that this is the best way to do this? I mean, have you seen the size of that crowd out there? Everybody in the county must be there. You'd think this was some kind of a holiday."

"It is a holiday." Cletus explained. "I mean it ain't every day that an entire family gets married all at the same time. School's let out and most of the offices and stores are closed for the day. Even Ms. Tisdale suspended mail deliveries in honor of the occasion. 'Sides, even if the stores and schools was open, nobody'd be in them. Nearly everybody in the Tri County area is out there on the square."

Lulu Hogg put her head in the door. She was dressed in a pale silver brocade suit dress that perfectly complimented the silver in her hair. "It's time, boys." She said as she went and tied Bo's tie … and then Luke's as well. "Everyone's waiting."

Cooter Davenport straightened his tux and adjusted his cummerbund. He had gotten a professional shave and haircut especially for the occasion. "Well, in that case, I guess it's my duty to escort the mother of the brides to her place of honor." He held his arm to Lulu. She took it and he started out the front door of the court house. He was followed by the three grooms, who took their places on the deck of the gazebo. Lastly came Rosco and Cletus, each dressed in their finest Class A dress uniforms.

The Hazzard County Union High School Marching Band finished their pre wedding concert. They had been practicing for weeks, and they performed their recital excellently. Although their rendition of Elvis Presley's 'I Can't Help Falling In Love With You' could have used just a little bit less trumpet.

Augusta Pruitt, the organist from the Three Possum Run Community Church, struck up the wedding march on the portable organ that had been set up at the base of the gazebo. A hush fell over the crowd as the three brides exited the court house. Led by Cooter, they started for the gazebo.

They were dressed in nearly identical gowns. They all had white silk floor length skirts overlaid with white organdy overskirts. All of them had white organdy halo veils.

Mary Beth's dress had a form fitting collarless white silk blouse top. The buttons were made out of mother of pearl, and several rows of tiny seed pearls covered the neckline and the edge of the sleeves.

Sandy's bodice had a loosely draped top with a boat neck and tiny cap sleeves. A pearl necklace took the place of the sewn in pearls.

Daisy's top was square cut and sleeveless with thick spaghetti straps tied at the top of the shoulder. She too had several strands of pearls around her neck.

For the three men in the gazebo, the rest of the world faded from sight.

For the two men perched atop the Hazzard County Library, it was now or never. According to their informant, the Fifth Duke of Harwell was only hours away from death. If Sandy was still alive then, the entire estate would go to her. And then to her heirs when she died, namely, her husband and children. The nephews would have no chance of getting it back. They had to kill her before she got the chance to say 'I do'.

"Dearly Beloved." Rosco intoned. The speaker system broadcast it to every part of the town. "We are gathered here today to join these couples in holy matrimony." He paused for a few minutes. "If anybody here knows of any reason why these three couples should not be joined, let them speak now or forever hold their peace."

The man on the library roof centered Sandy in his rifle's sights and squeezed the trigger.

The bullet took Rosco's hat off his head before embedding itself in the trellis of the gazebo.

At the sound of the shot, everyone ducked for cover.

"I take it that's an objection." Rosco said from the floor of the gazebo, fingering the hole in his hat. "And that was a brand new genuine Stetson, too."

"You okay?" Bo asked Sandy.

She nodded. All the others were unhurt as well.

"Good!" Luke said. "What say we all go and get those guys?"

"I'm all for that! I'm tired of playing cat and mouse with them." Bo said as he scrambled for the General which was parked in front of the Courthouse. It, the Dixie, and Uncle Jesse's truck had been festooned with streamers and placards proclaiming that the occupants had been 'Just Married'. There were also the requisite shoes and cans tied to the rear bumpers. These were quickly disposed of.

In seconds, a veritable posse had formed. It was led by Luke and Bo in the General. Nick Davis and Barney Knotts were right behind them in their car, and Enos followed in Jesse's truck. Rosco and Cletus in the cruiser brought up the rear.

Daisy and the others headed for the Dixie. Cooter stood in front of it. "Oh, no you don't! You ain't gonna go off nowhere." He said forcefully.

"You think you're gonna stop us?" Daisy glared at him.

"They've tried to kill me at least four times." Sandy added. "I figure I'm entitled to a piece of the action!" She put her fists against her hips and the look on her face practically dared anybody to cross her.

"And they're going to be my cousins in law." Mary Beth said. "Where they go, I'm goin' too." She folded her arms vigorously across her chest.

"And don't even THINK you're goin' to keep me from going with them!" Lulu Hogg informed him.

Rather than continue to argue with four determined women, especially when one of those women was Lulu Hogg, Cooter stepped aside as Daisy, Sandy, Lulu and Mary Beth climbed into the jeep. Then he hurried to his truck.

"Listen up, y'all." Rosco's voice came over the CB. "Everybody got their ears on?"

"Lost Sheep here."

"Bo Peep and Company."

"Enos on the air."

"Cra-a-zy Cooter here."

"Davis and Knotts checking in."

"Good." Rosco replied. "Let's keep this channel open so we all know what each other is doin'."

**D-D-D-D-D-D**

"There they are!" Luke shouted into the mike as a dark green sedan pulled out from behind the library.

The chase was on!

The green sedan pulled onto Highway 27 with the caravan of cars right behind them. Try as it might, the green car could not shake the string of vehicles that was following them. They pulled onto a dirt road and gunned the car to over 75 MPH. The cars stuck like the tail of a kite. They pulled onto another road.

"They're headin' for Keevy Pass!" Cooter shouted. "Don't they know the bridge is washed out?"

"We'll follow them." Bo replied. "The rest of you head for Junction City Crossroads. If they do make it over Miller's Creek, we got a better chance of followin' them in the General than you guys. If not, you can get them there."

"We're goin' with you, fellas." Daisy said. "The Dixie can jump Miller's Creek just as easy as the General can."

The duo watched as the other cars split off and headed for the crossroads.

The green car crashed through the barricade that blocked the road to the bridge. It hesitated a few seconds and then accelerated full speed at the remnants of the bridge. With a mighty effort, it cleared the creek with only inches to spare.

"If they can do it, so can we." Bo said to Luke. "Hang on tight." He gunned the General and it, too made a graceful arc above the creek. There were several feet between the orange Dodge and the creek edge when it landed.

"Now ain't you glad we had Cooter put seat belts in the General?" Luke asked as they pursued the sedan. "Otherwise we'd been tumbled all over the place like we usually were."

"Yup." Bo agreed. "They sure make it easier to get back into the thick of things a lot sooner than before. Maybe they ain't so bad after all."

"Ready, girls?" Daisy said as she gunned the white jeep forward. Seconds later, it made a picture perfect four point landing on the other side of the stream.

Without warning, the green sedan made a sharp 180 degree turn in a relatively flat meadow and sped past the two cars that were following them. Almost as soon as it passed them, it turned onto another road.

"Dang!" Bo said as he spun the General into an about face. The Dixie was right behind them.

"They're heading back to Highway 27!" Luke shouted into the mike. "They're on Blue Tick Road."

"I just passed there." Enos acknowledged. "I'll turn around and see if I can stop them there."

"We're right behind you, Enos." Nick Davis said.

"Cletus and I are almost to the crossroads. We'll head back that way, too." Rosco informed them.

The green car sped onto Highway 27 at breakneck speed. Enos dove for the hood as it almost broadsided Jesse's truck that was blocking the intersection. It missed by mere inches. It made a left turn and sped down the highway. Seconds later the General and the Dixie came onto the highway. They hesitated briefly as Enos pointed the direction that the car had taken. Then, the three cars started after the fugitives.

"I don't believe this!" Enos said. "They're headin' for Gurley's Knob!"

"That's where this whole thing started!" Sandy chimed in.

"And that's where it's gonna end." Bo replied.

"Well ain't that just special!" Cooter said. "It just so happens I'm on Highway 27 just the other side of Gurley's Knob. Let's see 'em try and get past the 'Draggin' Waggon'."

The sedan crested the hill at Gurley's Knob just as the sheriff's cruiser completed the blockade of the highway that Cooter had started. On the other side of the tow truck was the car driven by Agent Davis. The ladies in the Dixie had closed off the road on the other side of the highway. Between them, they had completely shut off all escape routes that the assassins could have had. They now had the steep bluff of Gurley's Knob on one side and a near perpendicular cliff on the other. There was no place to go.

The men braked their car to a screeching halt and took off on foot up the hill toward the top of Gurley's Knob. The General sounded the first bar of 'Dixie' on its horn as it stopped right behind them. In seconds, Bo and Luke were out of the General and right on their tails. Moments later, Enos pulled up and joined the chase up the side of the mountain.

It only took a few minutes to bring the men down. By the time Rosco, Cletus, and Agents Davis and Knotts reached them, the men were practically begging the lawmen to arrest them. It took all four of them to drag Bo and Luke off the thugs. Enos was busy getting in his licks, and he had to be pulled away by Cooter as well.

**D-D-D-D-D-D**

The crowd that had gathered for the wedding was still there when the cavalcade rolled back into town. As soon as they saw the police cars, a mighty cheer went up.

"Good work, fellas." Ms. Tisdale said as Sheriff Coltrane escorted the prisoners into the jail. "We all knew you'd get 'em. But really, Bo. Did you have to smash that one fella's nose?"

Bo nodded proudly. "And I'd have done even worse if Agents Knotts and Davis hadn't pulled me off of him. After what they did to Sandy, he deserved a lot more than a busted honker."

"But how did you know what happened out there?" Cletus asked.

"Simple." Ms. Tisdale explained. "As soon as you all left, we hooked up the CB base station from the County Commissioner's office to the loudspeaker system. We all heard everything that went on. Ain't been that much excitement since Ray Basker's prize bull got loose and charged into Reskins Elegant Housewares Shoppe three years ago."

Rosco picked up the microphone from the base set. "Ladies and gentlemen." He said to the crowd. "If you want to stay, we will be gettin' this weddin' restarted in about another hour. That's to give the par-tic-i-pants the chance to clean up."

**D-D-D-D-D-D**

Inside the station, Agent Davis pulled Bo, Luke and Enos aside while Barney and Cletus took care of the paperwork to book the attempted assassins.

"I'd like to congratulate you three on the magnificent job you did out there. I was very impressed, and so were my superiors when I called in the report. You know the FBI is always looking for qualified people to become agents. I think you three have what it takes. And, according to Chief Bennett of the Atlanta office, they're shorthanded at this time. He's given me permission to offer the three of you jobs with the Atlanta bureau."

"Jobs? As FBI agents? In Atlanta?" Enos said, his eyes lighting up. "Possum in a gum bush! I've always wanted to be a G-Man. Ever since I saw the first episode of 'The Untouchables'. That's what convinced me to become an officer of the law in the first place. If'n I was in Atlanta, we could come here to Hazzard whenever we wanted to. It's only about fifty miles away. I'd be purely honored to take the job."

"Well, then, welcome aboard. I think with your background in law enforcement, you should have no trouble meeting the qualifications. I know you're going on your honeymoon from here. Just leave an address where we can reach you and I'll see to it that the necessary forms are forwarded to you."

"Well, Daisy and me were goin' to have our honeymoon on the way to Los Angeles, but if you're really serious about that FBI job, we could just as well take our honeymoon in Atlanta. I could come into the FBI office there first thing a week from next Monday and take care of all the paperwork."

"A week from Monday?" Agent Knotts said. "Why wait a week?"

"We got to have some time to ourselves, don't we?" Enos said with a huge smile.

"And what about you two?" Davis asked Bo and Luke.

Luke thought for a few seconds. "I don't think so, Agent Davis. Not that we don't appreciate the offer, but Bo and me have spent near our entire lives stayin' one or two steps ahead of the law. I don't think either one of us would feel comfortable on the other side of the fence. Besides, there have been Dukes on this land since before the Revolutionary war. Somebody's got to continue that tradition. And since it's likely that Bo and Sandy will be movin' to England after her great grandfather dies, that just leaves Mary Beth and me to look after the farm."

"I agree with my cousin. We wouldn't make good lawmen at all." Bo said. "We're too ornery. And we don't always play by the rules. Besides, it looks like Sandy and me will be leavin' for England a lot sooner than we planned." He handed Luke a copy of an E-Mail that Rosco had given him. "It seems that Nigel Trelayne passed away early this morning. Figuring in the time difference, it happened just about the same time that those two gunmen took a shot at her. It's a good thing they missed. That means that Sandy is now Lady Alysande, the Sixth Duchess of Harwell."

**D-D-D-D-D-D**

"Now then, where were we when we were so rudely interrupted?" Rosco said as they returned to the gazebo. "Oh yeah. We'll start with you two.

"Lucas K. Duke. Do you take Mary Beth Higgins to be your lawful wedded wife?"

Luke swallowed. This is it. "I do."

"And do you, Mary Beth Higgins take Lucas K. Duke to be your lawful wedded husband?"

Mary Beth smiled. "I do."

Rosco leaned to Sandy. "What do I call you now? Your Duchessness?"

"Alysande Beaumont will do very nicely."

Rosco breathed a sigh of relief.

"And do you Beauregard J. Duke take Alysande T. Beaumont to be your lawful wedded wife?"

"You bet I do."

"And do you, Alysande T. Beaumont take Beauregard to be your lawful wedded husband?"

He calls me Beauregard one more time and Sheriff or not, wedding or not, I'm gonna deck him.

"Oh, yes, I do."

"Now. Do you, Enos S. Strate take Daisy M. Duke to be your lawful wedded wife?"

"Yes, Sir. I surely do."

"And do you Daisy M. Duke take Enos S. Strate to be your lawful wedded husband?"

"You know I do, Rosco."

"Then repeat after me. I ... "

"I ... Luke Duke ... Bo Duke ... Enos Strate ... Mary Beth Higgins ... Sandy Beaumont ... Daisy Duke ..."

"Take thee ... "

Take thee ... Mary Beth Higgins ... Sandy Beaumont ... Daisy Duke ... Luke Duke ... Bo Duke ... Enos Strate ..."

"As my lawful wedded spouse. To have and to hold from this day forward. For richer and poorer. In good times and bad. In sickness and health. To love, honor, and cherish. Till death do us part."

"As my lawful wedded spouse. To have and to hold from this day forward. For richer and poorer. In good times and bad. In sickness and health. To love, honor, and cherish. Till death do us part."

"And now for the rings."

Each held a ring to their partner.

"With this ring I thee wed" They all repeated as they slipped the rings on the fingers.

"Then by the power invested in me by the State of Georgia and the County of Hazzard, I declare y'all to be husbands and wives. You may kiss the brides."

The cheers from the crowd soon turned to whistles and catcalls as the three couples held the kiss much longer than necessary. Then, ducking the blizzard of birdseed that was being thrown on them, they headed for the courthouse. Since Luke had been a Marine, they all passed beneath the ceremonial archway of swords provided by a platoon from the Tri County Marine Reserve Detachment, augmented by the VFW and the American Legion.

During the wedding, their respective vehicles had been redecorated with the appropriate signs, shoes and cans.

**D-D-D-D-D-D**

To say that the reception was an unqualified success was an understatement. The Boars Nest was so packed that it seemed that the party goers had to come in shifts. Even so, everyone enjoyed themselves thoroughly. Loretta Lynn and her band played almost until dawn, and Lulu had to practically throw some of the last revelers out so she could close the place.

**D-D-D-D-D-D**

It was almost evening when the three couples gathered in the Duke living room.

"Well. This is it." Bo said. "Sorta like the end of an era. We three have been together since we was almost babies. It's gonna seem strange us all bein' on our own."

"Yeah." Luke agreed. "But we'll still be together in our hearts. And we'll only be as far away as the nearest telephone."

"Or the internet." Sandy said. "When Bo and I get to Harwell, the first thing I'm going to do is set up a chat room for all of us. That way, we can communicate with each other whenever we want. All you'll have to do is log on and start typing away. Much cheaper than a telephone, too."

"I knew you married the right girl, Bo." Daisy said. "Sandy has looks and brains, too."

"There's one more thing I got to tell you before we split up, Bo." Luke said. "I've been givin' it a lot of thought for quite a while now, and I reached a decision. I'm retirin' the General."

"You're WHAT?" Bo shrieked. "You can't be serious. You're goin' to send the General Lee to the junkyard?"

"Now just wait a minute, Cuz. You got it all wrong. I ain't gonna junk him, I'm goin' to preserve him for generations to come. I'm goin' to give him to the Hazzard County Museum. They're gonna put him right there with Uncle Jesse's last still, one of Boss's white suits and the only one of Rosco's old squad cars we didn't total."

"But why? The General may be gettin' old, but he's still got a whole lot of good years left in him."

"That may be. But now that I'm a married man, I don't need no fancy souped up car to get my thrills." Luke put his arm around Mary Beth. "She's all the thrill I need or want."

"Hear! Hear!" Enos added as he hugged Daisy. "I second that."

**D-D-D-D-D-D**

Luke and Mary Beth stood with the others in the terminal of the Hazard County Airport. On the tarmac, the connector plane to Atlanta stood waiting.

"You guys had better get on board." Mary Beth said. "Especially you, Sandy and Bo. You two don't want to miss your flight to London."

After another round of hugs, kisses and goodbyes, Sandy and Bo and Daisy and Enos started to terminal door.

"WAIT A MINUTE! Wait a minute!" Ms. Tisdale shouted as she ran toward them. She handed Luke an envelope. "This just came in. Special Delivery Priority Mail. I figured you'd want to see it right away."

Luke reached for the letter, but Ms. Tisdale pulled it away. "I gotta see some sort of identification first, Luke Duke. Postal regulations, you know. Gotta make sure I give the US mail to the right persons. There's a lot of identity theft goin' on, you know."

Luke fished out his driver's license, and showed it to her.

"You know, I've had the gawdawfulest time trackin' you down." Ms. Tisdale said as she gave him the letter. "If Myrtle over at the telephone office hadn't overheard you makin' these here airplane reservations, I never would have been able to catch up with you. That letter's from a couple of guys named Hoople and Lord. They're solicitors. That's a fancy name for English lawyers."

"Do you know what's in it?" Luke asked as he opened the letter. It seemed as if the glue was just a wee bit moist.

"Why Luke Duke!" Ms. Tisdale said innocently. "I'd never read other people's letters. You know that tampering with the US of A mail is a crime."

Luke read the letter. He paled slightly and handed it to Bo. "It seems you're going to be a real Duke as well as Sandy. Gaylord Duke died suddenly yesterday and we are his only heirs."

"Yeah. Terrible thing." Ms. Tisdale said. "Him bein' thrown from his favorite horse like that. Broke his neck. They said he died instantly. At least he didn't suffer none."

"I thought you didn't know what was in this." Luke said, tapping the letter menacingly on his hand.

"Well, the flap wasn't sealed exactly too tight. I mean, it came all the way from England. Bound to be a little bit loose after travelin' all that far. So, I had to reseal it. It just so happened that while I was doin' that, the letter kinda fell out of the envelope and when I picked it up, I sorta ... Well ... Is it true? Are you goin to be a genuine English Duke, Bo?"

"But Luke's the oldest. That means he's the next in line to be the Ninth Duke of Claringshire."

Luke shook his head. "I ain't gonna accept it. I'll abdicate. Or whatever it takes. Like I told Agent Davis. I'm gonna stay right here on the farm. Besides, with you bein' a real live genuine Duke, you'll have a better chance of bein accepted into English society than if'n you was just a commoner, and an American as well."

"You do have a point there. Even if it is on your head." Bo laughed. "Okay. I'll accept."

"And I'll contact Hoople and Lord and let them know." Luke said as he practically pushed Bo and Sandy to the door. "Now get goin' or you'll miss the plane"

**D-D-D-D-D-D**

Luke leaned over the crib and gently kissed Joshua Harlan Duke on the forehead. The infant looked up at his father and held his hands to be picked up.

"Lucas K. Duke!" Mary Beth mock scolded as the two of them came into the brightly decorated living room. "UPS just delivered nearly a whole truckload of toys. I swear, if you don't stop buying him everything in sight, that boy is going to be spoiled rotten before he's even a year old."

"I can't help it, Mary Beth. After all Josh is only nine months old. Couldn't buy anythin' for him last year since he wasn't even born then. So this is his first Christmas. It's got to be extra special. Besides, that ain't all toys in those packages. There's a bunch of stuff for you in there too." He kissed her on the cheek. "Now why don't you get things ready while I unload these boxes and put them under the tree? Enos and Daisy will be here any minute."

As if on cue, the door opened and Enos and Daisy came in. Each was carrying a baby carrier along with the required diapers, bottles and other necessary bags. Eight month old twins Rosco Bailey Strate and Jessica Katherine Strate were just waking up.

"Now if only Bo and Sandy could be here, everything would be perfect." Daisy said as she deposited Rosco and Jessie into the playpen with their cousin Josh.

"Yeah. But it's a long way from Harwell England to here and with the baby bein' only six months old ... " Luke stopped just as a blond head poked itself into the doorway.

" ... It's the perfect time to come." Bo finished the sentence as he and Sandy entered. Sandy held Barbara Elizabeth Duke in her arms. "We were lucky. We pulled some strings and got last minute seats on the plane from London to Atlanta and so here we are. As they say, Rank certainly has it's privileges."

"We couldn't pass up the chance for all the kids to spend their first Christmas together, could we?" Sandy finished as she put Barbara into the playpen as well.

"I just got one question, Cousin." Luke asked. "Since you both are titled nobility, which title will little Barbara get? Or can she have both of them? I don't know my English law that well."

"I don't think that's gonna be a problem." Bo said. "Barbara can have the first title that comes up and the other one will go to little Junior here." He patted Sandy's stomach.

"You're not ... " Daisy asked.

"Nine weeks." Sandy beamed.

Within an hour, the Duke house was filled as Rosco, Cletus and Cooter came by. Right behind them was Lulu. Within minutes, they had each appropriated one of the children and were busily engaged in making assorted baby babble sounds.

"You know, this married do-mes-ticity might not be such a bad thing." Rosco said as he bounced his namesake on his knees. "I might be thinkin' of tryin' it out myself."

"YOU?" Nearly everyone said at the same time.

"Yeah me. For your information, I been seein' this here lady for the last eight months. I invited her here to meet every one. I hope you don't mind." Just then, the doorbell rang. "That's probably her now." He said as he handed little Rosco to his mother.

A few minutes later, Rosco escorted a lovely lady into the living room. "I'd like you to meet Martha Ann Pouvey."

Martha Ann smiled shyly.

"I remember you." Enos said. "You're Agent Knotts's cousin from Mount Airy. But I didn't know you knew her." He said to Rosco. "Let alone been datin' her."

"We met at that Lawman's Conference last May. Barney introduced us. She'd just got dumped by her old boyfriend, and she was feelin' pretty down. So's he invited her to come up to Atlanta and spend a few days with him. I did what I could to cheer her up and we been datin' ever since. I been spendin' most of my weekends in Mount Airy on account of her job there. She's owns a beauty parlor and she works weekends."

"Yeah. Rosco really helped me get over that jarhead." Martha Ann said. "My ex boyfriend, that is. He's in the Marines. When he enlisted, he asked me to wait for him and I said I would. Then, just about the time he was to get discharged, he said he was goin' to reenlist. He was goin' make a career out of it. I told him I can't wait that long for anyone, and I informed him that he had to choose between me or the Marines. He chose the Marines. Rosco here was so kind to me in my time of need. Then as time went by, it sorta developed into somethin' a lot more than that. He's a really swell guy."

"You thought I brought you here to spend Christmas with these here folks, but there was another reason." Rosco said. "They're sorta like family to me, and it's always proper to meet the family at times like this." He took a small leather case out of his pocket and got down on one knee in front of Martha Ann. "I know we only met each other eight months ago, but I feel like I've knowed you all my life. You're just the kind of woman I been lookin' for. That ex boyfriend of yours don't know what a special person you are, but I do. So, in front of everyone here, I'm askin' you. Martha Ann Pouvey. Will you be my wife?" He opened the case and took out a small but stunning diamond ring.

"Oh! Rosco!" Martha Ann said with tears in her eyes. "I'd be happy and proud to be your wife."

**D-D-D-D-D-D**

Out on the porch, a group of people stood at the window watching what was happening inside. Of course, no one in the house was even aware that they were there.

"I'm real proud of all of them. Especially our Luke." Harlan Duke said as he put his arm around Mavis's shoulder. "Turnin' down all those fancy offers just to stay on the farm."

"Yup." Matthew added hugging Barbara Jean tightly. "You did a good job raisin' those boys, Jesse."

"And don't forget about Daisy." Bailey Duke pulled Lillian to his side. "He did a 'specially good job with her."

"And I didn't realize at the time that I was gettin' so much help doin' it. I didn't know y'all was givin' me pointers in my sleep. Here I thought they was all my own ideas." Jesse said as he gently kissed Lavinia's cheek.

"Yeah, brother. We couldn't have you mucking up our children's lives now, could we?" Harlan said with a grin.

"That what family's all about. Everyone helping each other, no matter what side of the mortal plane we're on." Lillan Duke added.

"Well, I guess we're all gonna have to start teachin' this next generation of Dukes how to raise their young'uns, too." Jesse said.

"What do you mean start teachin 'em?" Matthew inquired with mock innocence. "We been doin' that with them since they all said 'I do'."

"So. I guess that brings the Duke family in a full circle." Jesse commented "And now it starts all over again."

**D-D-D-D-D-D**

**The end?**

**Or is it merely the beginning **

**of the next chapter?**


End file.
